Alleviation of carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatocellular damage and oxidative stress in rats by Anabaena oryzae phycocyanin

Phycocyanin isolated from Anabaena biomass was in-vitro assayed for its antioxidant activity against DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and ABTS [2,2 '-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)] free radical, revealing maximum activities amounting to 77 and 80% at 1,000 mu g/ml and SC50 values about 96 and 111 mu g/ml, respectively. A biological experiment was conducted, involving 40 male Wistar Albino rats, divided into five groups. Group I received only the basal diet as a normal control, while groups II, III, IV, and V were administrated intraperitoneal (IP) injection of a single dose of CCl4 (50% in corn oil) at 0.5 ml/kg body weight. Subsequently, groups II, III, IV, and V received phycocyanin at 0.0, 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg body weight/day. CCl4 induced considerable increases (p .05) in the levels of serum ALT, AST, urea and creatinine, total lipid, and triglycerides coupled with significant reductions (p .05) in serum antioxidant enzymes and some liver histopathological deformations compared to the negative control (group 1). Administration of Anabaena oryzae phycocyanin can counteract these CCl4-induced changes. Practical applications Phycocyanin isolated from Anabaena has beneficial effects such as the antioxidant, antibacterial, anticancer, and hepatoprotective effect. Phycocyanin may play a key role in alleviating oxidative stress, artificially induced by carbon tetrachloride in Albino rats, to ultimately determine its capacity to serve as a natural antioxidant for food and health applications.

Automated summary

Phycocyanin extracted from Anabaena biomass showed high antioxidant activity against DPPH and ABTS free radicals, with potential hepatoprotective effects in Albino rats exposed to CCl4-induced oxidative stress. The findings suggest that phycocyanin could serve as a natural antioxidant with beneficial applications in food and health industries.