Chemical Profiling and Immune-Stimulating Activity of Solvent Fractions Derived from Dietary Chlorella

Abstract

Chlorella, a genus of single-celled green algae, is widely industrially cultivated as a dietary supplement ingredient due to its high protein content and various nutrients. In this study, the immune-stimulating effect of solvent fractions prepared from Chlorella vulgaris (CV) and Chlorella protothecoides (CP) was evaluated through the expression of immune-related factors, such as TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma in T cells obtained from mice. Both Chlorella species showed immunostimulatory effects in hexane and butanol fractions, but CV increased TNF-alpha only, while CP elevated both TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma. In addition, the lipid profile of Chlorella was characterized using non-selective LC-MS/MS-based metabolomic analysis. According to the lipidomic results, the two species differed in lipid composition, with PC 32:1, PC 32:2, PC 34:5, DGDG 34:4, and DGDG 34:5 being enriched in the active fractions of CV, and PC 34:1, PC 34:2, PC O-15:2 and DGTS 34:4 being abundant in the fractions of CP. Furthermore, 5'-methylthioadenosine (MTA), which was detected in both Chlorella species, also exhibited immunostimulatory properties.