Protective effect of Spirulina platensis enriched in phenolic compounds against hepatotoxicity induced by CCl4

Phenolic compounds make up the major secondary metabolites with high pharmaceutical potential. Microalgae were reported to contain low amounts of phenolic compounds. The present study aimed to investigate the hepatoprotective potential of biomass of Spirulina platensis enriched in phenolic compounds. The protective effects of the biomass of S. platensis with low amounts of phenolics (SP1) and with high amounts of phenolics (SP2) against CCl4-induced acute hepatotoxicity were evaluated in rats. The increased levels of ALT, AST and MDA along with decreased activities of SOD and CAT were significantly (p < 0.01) ameliorated by SP2. Histological examinations revealed that SP2 was more potent than SP1 in protecting the liver from toxic injury of CCl4 and preserving the hepatocyte ultrastructure. The lesions including necrosis, lymphocyte infiltration, ballooning degeneration and hepatocyte injury as irregular lamellar organisation, dilations in endoplasmic reticulums and the presence of great number of cytoplasmic vacuolization were healed by SP2.