Antioxidant, anti-cancer and ameliorative activities of Spirulina platensis and pomegranate juice against hepatic damage induced by CCl4

Abstract

Due to the excessive impact of synthetic drugs, unravelling and employing safe, natural alternatives are now needed to resolve a number of diseases. In this research, we have evaluated hepatoprotective and antioxidant activities of Spirulina platensis and pomegranate juice in rats against hepatotoxicity induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). Spirulina crude carotenoid extract was screened by UPLC-MS / MS. Activities of liver marker enzymes; measured aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and determined lipid peroxidation and antioxidant status as reduced glutathione (GSH) in liver homogenate. The infusion of CCl4 (2 ml/kg b.wt) greatly increases levels of liver marker enzymes and lipid peroxidation, resulting in depletion of antioxidants. Treatment of Spirulina platensis (Sp), pomegranate juice (Pj)or mixture (PJSP) of Spirulina water extract 10% and pomegranate juice 90% (1 ml/100 g b.wt) to CCl4-disrupted rats resulted in decreased activity of liver marker enzymes, lipid peroxidation with increased antioxidant status. Chromatographic separation showed that ß-carotene is the predominant carotenoid extract. This carotenoid extract was tested for colon carcinoma (HCT-116), liver carcinoma (HepG2) and intestinal carcinoma cell lines (CACO) LC50 for 21.8, 14 and 11.3 ug / ml, respectively. Total phenolic phytochemicals, total carotenoids and total flavonoids were also measured in Spirulina. Our study clearly demonstrates that Spirulina platensis and pomegranate juice had hepatoprotective effect on CCl4-caused hepatotoxicity in rats through its antioxidant activity.

Potential Antioxidant and Anticancer Activities of Secondary Metabolites of Nostoc linckia Cultivated under Zn and Cu Stress Conditions

“…Singprecha et al [86] investigated the effect of ginger extract and ascorbic acid on antioxidant activity, implying that an antagonistic interaction between ascorbic acid and ginger, or herbal extracts, should be considered to avoid any potential health consequences. El-Beltagi et al [87], found that a mixture of Spirulina platensis and pomegranate juice ameliorate the rat hepatic harm caused by CCl 4 through its antioxidant activity.…”

Trends and Technological Advancements in the Possible Food Applications of Spirulina and Their Health Benefits: A Review

“…In addition, Batista et al [ 83 ] revealed that when estimating the amount of total phenols in biscuits enriched with spirulina algae, the addition of spirulina by 2% did not give any significant differences compared to the control sample, as the amount of phenols was 1.4 mg gallic acid/g, while the content of phenolics increased significantly to 1.6–1.7 mg gallic acid/g when spirulina was increased to 6%. El-Beltagi et al [ 8 ] studied that the aqueous extract of spirulina contained a significant amount of total flavonoids, which was 79.6 mg/g dry weight, and that the amount of total phenols was 16.0 mg/g dry weight. Consequently, these were used to enhance pomegranate juice because of the positive effects that these chemical compounds have on one’s health.…”

“…When compared to the rats who were fed the control diet, the rats that were given either pomegranate juice, spirulina extract, or both together had a considerable rise in their body weight. These liquids stimulated hunger, which ultimately resulted in weight gain [ 8 ]. In addition, Moradi et al [ 157 ] found that supplementation with spirulina significantly lowered body weight from −1.98 to −1.14 kg, notably in obese adults at a dosage of 4 g/day from −2.45 to −1.68 kg.…”

“…This effect was attributed to the presence of antioxidant plant pigments (carotenoids, chlorophyll, and phycocyanin), as well as the presence of polysaccharides, as the use of spirulina extract has been suggested in the development of anticancer drugs. Phycocyanin is a pigment found in blue-green algae [ 8 ]. When employing algal extract at a concentration of 1000 µg/mL, the findings of Matos et al [ 53 ] indicated that spirulina was cytotoxic to Hela cells by 61.4% and reduced cell viability by 39%.…”

“…This helps the market meet the demand for variety while also providing highly nutritious food that can aid in the feeding of children and the fight against malnutrition [ 7 ]. In addition to the introduction of spirulina in the production of functional beverages, such as fruit juices, which have gained a great deal of relevance in terms of health, it is also employed in the production of dairy products, pasta, oil derivatives, and nutritional supplements [ 8 , 9 , 10 ]. In addition to being used as a coloring agent in the food industry, spirulina has a wide range of uses in the areas of human nutrition, animal feed, and fish feed [ 11 , 12 , 13 ].…”