Comprehensive Characterization of the Bioactive Profile in Spirulina platensis Vinegar

This study evaluated the bioactive properties of Spirulina platensis-based vinegar (SV) compared to apple vinegar (AV), focusing on organic acids, phenolic compounds, antioxidant capacity, and in vitro bioaccessibility. SV showed a significantly enhanced bioactive profile, with higher levels of key compounds such as gallic acid (86.99 ± 0.14 mg/L), succinic acid (15,859.43 ± 147.24 mg/L), and shikimic acid (147.13 ± 1.37 mg/L), indicating active fermentation-driven biotransformation. In addition, phytic acid present in Spirulina powder (494.43 ± 5.57 mg/L) was completely eliminated after fermentation. Importantly, SV exhibited significantly higher bioaccessible antioxidant capacity (25.68 ± 0.06 µmol TE/mL) than AV (8.68 ± 0.04 μmol TE/mL) based on the ABTS assay. Principal component analysis confirmed that organic acids were the main drivers of bioactive potential, while phenolics contributed to compositional differentiation. Overall, these results indicate that Spirulina platensis is a promising raw material for producing functional vinegar with enhanced bioactivity and bioaccessibility.