A dietary cholesterol challenge study to assess Chlorella supplementation in maintaining healthy lipid levels in adults: a double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled study

Table 3 Serum lipid and carotenoid responses to the 4-week intervention with Chlorella supplementation with three eggs daily

Fasting serum levels (mmol/L)	Placebo group (n = 17)		Chlorella group (n = 17)		P-value^a
Fasting serum levels (mmol/L)	Week 0	Week 4	Week 0	Week 4	Group	Time	Group x Time
Serum lipids
TC	4.24 ± 0.16	4.71 ± 0.15	4.38 ± 0.12	4.47 ± 0.12	0.962	< 0.001	0.037
LDL-C	2.28 ± 0.11	2.59 ± 0.11	2.49 ± 0.11	2.51 ± 0.12	0.619	0.004	0.012
HDL-C	1.58 ± 0.08	1.67 ± 0.10	1.55 ± 0.06	1.62 ± 0.05	0.917	0.010	0.404
Serum carotenoids
Lutein	0.54 ± 0.05	0.89 ± 0.08	0.65 ± 0.03	1.39 ± 0.12	0.001	< 0.001	0.006
α-carotene	0.06 ± 0.01	0.07 ± 0.01	0.08 ± 0.01	0.24 ± 0.02	< 0.001	< 0.001	< 0.001
β-carotene	0.19 ± 0.02	0.27 ± 0.05	0.22 ± 0.02	0.29 ± 0.03	0.292	< 0.001	0.753

Values are the means ± SEMs. TC total cholesterol, LDL-C low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, HDL-C high-density lipoprotein cholesterol
^aMixed-effects ANOVA model with group and time as fixed effects factors and subject as random effect factor