Dietary Chlorella vulgaris with a specific enzyme mixture enriches pork in potassium and improves its sodium to potassium ratio

Purpose The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of dietary inclusion of 5% Chlorella vulgaris, individually or supplemented with two carbohydrase mixtures, on pork's mineral profile (calcium, copper, iron, potassium, magnesium, manganese, sodium, phosphorous, sulfur and zinc). Design/methodology/approach Forty male finishing pigs were assigned to four dietary treatments: cereal and soybean meal-based diet (control), control diet with 5% microalga (CCV), CCV diet supplemented with 0.005% of a commercial xylanase and beta-glucanase-based complex and CCV diet supplemented with 0.01% of a mixture of four carbohydrate-active enzymes. Pigs were slaughtered after 41 +/- 7.8 days of trial and the mineral composition of longissimus lumborum muscle was analyzed using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry. Findings When C. vulgaris was supplemented with a four-CAZyme mixture, an increase of total minerals in meat was found due to a higher content of potassium, which led to a decrease of sodium to potassium ratio in pork. However, CCV treatment decreased the amount of calcium and manganese in meat, which was likely due to a lower bioavailability of these minerals in the diet. Originality/value Considering the imbalance of sodium and potassium in most Western diets and the increasing occurrence of cardiovascular diseases in the population, the improvement of meat quality caused by a reduction of sodium to potassium ratio might help to reduce the prevalence of high blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases, having thus benefits for consumers' health.