*2.1. Materials and Reagents*

Pepsin from powdered porcine gastric mucosa (activity ≥ 250 units/mg solid), 1,1 diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2 -azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS), 2,4,6(tripyridyl)-1,3,5-triazine (TPTZ), cholesterol, and Coomassie brilliant blue (G250) were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich (St. Louis, MO, USA); potassium persulfate, iron (III) chloride hexahydrate, trichloroacetic acid (TCA), ferrous chloride, γoryzanol, iron sulfate, and maltodextrin were obtained from Merck (Darmstadt, Germany). *Spirulina platensis* powder was purchased from Noor Daro Gonbad (Gonbad Kavous, Iran).
