Antioxidant and Hepatoprotective Effects of Eucheuma denticulatum (N. L. Burman) F. S. Collins & Hervey in Carbon Tetrachloride-Induced Liver Injury: Hepatoprotection by Eucheuma denticulatum

Mohammad Amil Zulhilmi  BENJAMIN; Jeyanthi  PALANISAMY; Wilson Thau Lym  YONG; Mohammad  IQBAL

doi:10.51200/jtbc.v23i.6864

Authors

Mohammad Amil Zulhilmi BENJAMIN Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6483-1362
Jeyanthi PALANISAMY Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.
Wilson Thau Lym YONG Biotechnology Research Institute, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8431-8486
Mohammad IQBAL Biotechnology Research Institute, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51200/jtbc.v23i.6864

Keywords:

oxidative stress, hepatoprotection, ethanolic extract, Eucheuma denticulatum, antioxidants, carbon tetrachloride

Abstract

Oxidative stress-related liver injury is a major global health concern and highlights the need for safe and effective hepatoprotective agents from natural sources. Eucheuma denticulatum (N. L. Burman) F. S. Collins & Hervey, a red seaweed of economic importance, is a primary source of ι-carrageenan with potential medicinal and therapeutic value. This study evaluated the antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects of the ethanolic extract of E. denticulatum (EEED). Antioxidant activity was assessed using total phenolic content (TPC) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assays, while hepatoprotective effects were investigated in Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 4 per group) with carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄)-induced liver injury. Biochemical analyses measured serum liver enzymes alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and hepatic antioxidants including glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase (CAT), and glutathione S-transferase (GST). EEED showed low TPC (9.93 ± 0.10 mg GAE/g) and weak DPPH scavenging activity (40.77 ± 0.01%) compared with ascorbic acid (98.24 ± 0.01%) at 5,000 µg/mL. In CCl₄-treated rats, ALT and AST were significantly elevated, while GSH, CAT, and GST were depleted with an increase in MDA. EEED pretreatment reduced ALT by 18–28% and AST by 8–13%, increased GSH by 65–82%, reduced MDA by 53–89%, and improved antioxidant status with increases in CAT of 15–30% and GST of 55–64%. Overall, EEED demonstrated hepatoprotective effects despite low radical scavenging activity, which indicates potential as a natural therapeutic candidate for oxidative liver injury.

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