TY - JOUR T1 - Hepatoprotection of Chlorella against Carbon Tetrachloride-induced Oxidative Damage in Rats JF - In Vivo JO - In Vivo SP - 747 LP - 754 VL - 23 IS - 5 AU - HSIN-YI PENG AU - YU-CHAN CHU AU - SHU-JU CHEN AU - SU-TZE CHOU Y1 - 2009/09/01 UR - http://iv.iiarjournals.org/content/23/5/747.abstract N2 - The effects of 80% ethanolic chlorella extracts (GPE) on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced hepatic damage were investigated in Sprague-Dawley rats. The rats were orally treated with GPE (0.5 g/kg body weight) or silymarin (0.2 g/kg body weight) over four consecutive weeks with administration of CCl4 (20% CCl4, 0.5 ml/rat twice a week). The GPE had a significant protective effect against liver injuries, as well as oxidative stress induced by CCl4, resulting in reduced lipid peroxidation and improved serum biochemical parameters such as aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase. The reduced levels of glutathione, vitamin C, superoxide dismutase, and catalase in the CCl4-treated rats were significantly increased by treatment with GPE. Furthermore, the activity of GPE was comparable to the standard drug silymarin. In conclusion, chlorella may be useful as a hepatoprotective agent against chemical-induced liver damage in vivo. ER -