Effect of Spirulina on Zinc, Vitamin E and Linoleic Acid Levels in Palm Skin Following Chronic Exposure to Arsenic

Effect of Spirulina on the Levels of Zinc, Vitamin E and Linoleic Acid in the Palm Skin Extracts of People With Prolonged Exposure to Arsenic

Status

Completed

Phases

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT01752972

Enrollment

Registered

2012-12-19

Start date

2011-04-30

Completion date

2011-12-31

Last updated

2012-12-19

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Arsenical Keratosis

Keywords

Arsenic, Keratosis, Linoleic acid, Palm, Spirulina, Vitamin E, Zinc

Brief summary

Patients of arsenical keratosis may be treated with spirulina. Is this improvement related to the levels of zinc, vitamin E and linoleic acid at the site of the keratosis (palm)? To understand this, patients of palmer arsenical keratosis (n=10), arsenic exposed controls (n=10) and healthy volunteers (n=10) will be treated with spirulina powder 10 g/day orally for 12 weeks. Skin extracts will be collected both before and after supplementation from the palm and dorsum for estimation of zinc, vitamin E and linoleic acid levels.

Detailed description

Patients of arsenical keratosis remain untreated due to unavailability of effective drug. To find out an effective drug, the pathogenesis of keratosis should be understood. Spirulina is one of the dietary supplements, that improves the symptoms of keratosis. Is this improvement related to the levels of zinc, vitamin E and linoleic acid at the site of the keratosis (palm)? Ten patients of moderate palmer arsenical keratosis will be treated with spirulina powder 10 g/day orally for 12 weeks. Skin extracts will be collected both before and after supplementation from the palm and dorsum using a mixture of chloroform and ethanol. Zinc, vitamin E and linoleic acid levels will be estimated from the extracts. Similar protocol of spirulina administration and the collection of skin extracts will be done in arsenic exposed controls (n=10) and healthy volunteers (n=10).

Interventions

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENTSpirulina

10 g/day orally for 12 weeks

Study design

Allocation

NON_RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

PARALLEL

Primary purpose

DIAGNOSTIC

Masking

NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

20 Years to 40 Years

Healthy volunteers

Yes

Inclusion criteria

(Patients): * moderate palmer keratosis * drink arsenic contaminated water (\>50 µg/L) for at least 6 months * voluntarily agree to participate Inclusion Criteria (Arsenic exposed controls): * no symptoms of keratosis * family member of the patient * drink arsenic contaminated water (\>50 µg/L) for at least 6 months * voluntarily agree to participate Inclusion Criteria (Healthy volunteers): * no symptoms of keratosis * drink arsenic safe water (\<50 µg/L) * voluntarily agree to participate

Exclusion criteria

* pregnancy * lactation * chronic diseases: diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis, tuberculosis * arsenicosis patients under treatment in the previous 3 months

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Change in vitamin E levels in skin palm extract following supplementation with spirulina	0 week (baseline), 12 weeks (end)

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
Change in linoleic acid levels in skin palm extract following supplementation with spirulina	0 week (baseline), 12 weeks (end)
Change in zinc levels in skin palm extract following supplementation with spirulina	0 week (baseline), 12 weeks (end)

Countries

Bangladesh

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026