Alleviation of carbon tetrachloride‐induced hepatocellular damage and oxidative stress in rats by Anabaena oryzae phycocyanin

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 SC 50 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 CCl 4 (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. CCl 4 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 CCl 4 ‐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.