Spirulina in Tunisia: An Ethno-Pharmacological Survey on Consumption, Traditional Applications, and Health Benefits

Ethnopharmacology, is a field where human and nature intersect. It’s the study of how people utilize nature to develop sustainable ways of treating diseases with the use of natural products. We have studied the ethnicity, culture, and belief systems associated with spirulina, which is a blue-green algae that many people regard as healthy food. The purpose of our research and the results of our investigation are to determine how people understand, perceive, and utilize in the future the use of spirulina. In our investigation we recorded the demographic characteristics of the participants; then determined how frequently they consumed spirulina and how they understood the health benefits of spirulina, by collecting responses to a questionnaire regarding the health benefits of spirulina, how they would prepare or take spirulina, and how they would take or administer it orally. In our investigation, we found that there is a consensus in Tunisia that spirulina has a health benefit due to its nutritional and biological properties. However, because people do not consistently utilize spirulina, the amount of knowledge regarding spirulina is limited. The majority of spirulina users incorporated spirulina with various foods such as beverages, culinary dishes, and capsules/flaks; oral administration was the method of administration of spirulina. Those individuals who consumed spirulina understood it to have potential therapeutic uses to assist those with both obesity and metabolic disorders, including cholesterol and diabetes. Therefore, our research has provided insight into the therapeutic uses of spirulina and will provide future opportunities for pharmacological, phytochemical, and experimental studies to develop interventions based on the use of spirulina.