Hepatoprotective efficiency of methanol extract of red algae against chromium-induced oxidative damage in Wistar rats

Objective:To investigate the hepatoprotective activity of red algae Portieria hornemannii(Lyngbye)Silva(P.hornemannii)and Spyridia fusiformis Boergesen(S.fusiformis)by using the chromium treated rat liver as the animal model.Methods:The extract of red algae at a dosage of 0.200 g/kg of whole body weight was orally administrated to Cr(VI)intoxicated rats for 28 consecutive days.The effect of drug in rats was evaluated by comparing the degree of the production of enzymes responsible for antioxidant activity such lipid peroxidase,superoxide dismutase,catalase and reduced glutathione with Cr(VI)analogs in the absence of any secondary treatment.The overall damage of liver was detected by measuring serum enzymes such as aspartate amino transferase and alanine aminotransferase activities which released into the blood from the damaged cells.Results:It was observed that these enzyme levels were noticed in the animals treated with methanol extracts of red algae(200 mg/kg)through preventing the leakage of the above enzymes into the blood.The hepatoprotection obtained using LIV 52(standard reference drug)appeared relatively higher.The antihepatotoxic potential of red algae P.hornemannii and S.fusiformis might be due to their antioxidative and membrane stabilizing activities.Conclusions:Our results indicated that the extract of P.hornemannii and S.fusiformis obtained from methanol could be a promising hepatoprotective agent against chromium(VI)-induced liver damage.