Hepatoprotective effect of seaweeds' methanol extract against carbon tetrachloride-induced poisoning in rats

Three species of marine brown macroalgae (seaweeds), Myagropsis myagroides, Sargassum henslowianum and S. siliquastrum collected from Tung Ping Chau, Hong Kong were studied for their curative effects on hepatotoxicity caused by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) in male Sprague-Dawley rats. A single suitable oral dose of 1.25 ml kg−1 of 20% CCl4 was used as a model hepatotoxin to produce significantly elevated levels of serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) and glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT). Gavage oral administration of 300 mg kg−1 of methanol crude extract from S. siliquastrum 6 h post-treatment of CCl4 significantly reduced the CCl4-induced acute elevation in the levels of SGPT and SGOT in rats. Similar results, though at a less effective level, were achieved for extracts fromS. henslowianum and M. myagroides. These results indicate that these seaweeds may contain some active principles in their methanol extracts which acted as an antidote against the hepatotoxicity induced by CCl4. Further investigation is necessary to clarify and characterize the active component(s) in the extracts.