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 µg/ml and SC50 values about 96 and 111 µg/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.
Keywords: ABTS; Anabaena phycocyanin; DPPH; antioxidant enzymes; oxidative stress.
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