Antioxidant and antihepatotoxic effect of Spirulina laxissima against carbon tetrachloride induced hepatotoxicity in rats

Abstract

The vast biodiversity of nature provides bioactive compounds that may be useful in the fight against chronic diseases. This study was designed to investigate the protective effects of the ethanol extract of Spirulina laxissima West (Pseudanabaenaceae) (EESL) against carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) induced hepatotoxicities in rats. Male albino rats of Sprague-Dawley strain were treated orally with the ethanol extract of S. laxissima (50, 100 mg kg⁻¹ body wt.) 1 h before each CCl₄ administration. The ethanol extract of S. laxissima showed the maximum antioxidant property in vitro. There were statistically significant losses in the activities of antioxidant enzymes and an increase in TBARS and liver function marker enzymes in the serum of the CCl₄-treated group compared with the control group. However, all the tested groups were able to counteract these effects. The antioxidant activity of the extracts might be attributable to its proton-donating ability, as evidenced by DPPH. In the present study, the decline in the level of antioxidant observed in CCl₄-treated rats is a clear manifestation of excessive formation of radicals and activation of the lipid peroxidation system resulting in tissue damage. The significant increases in the concentration of antioxidant enzymes in tissues of animals treated with CCl₄ + EESL indicate the antioxidant effect of EESL. This study suggests that EESL can protect the liver against CCl₄-induced oxidative damage in rats, and the hepatoprotective effect might be correlated with its antioxidant and radical-scavenging effects.