Abstract

EFFECTS OF C-PHYCOCYANIN IN REDUCING CARBON TETRACHLORIDE TOXICITY

Phan Thai Bao, Le Anh Tri and Nguyen Hoang Khue Tu*

ABSTRACT

The liver is a critical organ involved in metabolism, detoxification, and immune response. Hepatocytes, the main functional cells of the liver, are particularly susceptible to oxidative stress, a major contributor to liver diseases such as cirrhosis, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. While various antioxidants have been explored to mitigate oxidative damage, their efficacy has been limited due to bioavailability and toxicity concerns. C-phycocyanin has emerged as a promising alternative, demonstrating potential in reducing oxidative stress, enhancing antioxidant enzyme activity, and protecting against mitochondrial and hepatocyte damage. Furthermore, C-phycocyanin has shown anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and hepatoprotective effects in various models of oxidative stress-related diseases, including liver toxicity, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegenerative disorders. Its potential therapeutic applications thus extend beyond liver disease, offering new strategies to combatoxidative stress-related pathologies. In this research, the protective and recovery effects of C-phycocyanin on hepatocytes treated with CCl4 were investigated. Hepatocytes were simultaneously treated with CCl4 (10 mM) and C-phycocyanin at various concentrations, however, the study specified the concentration in 550 μg/mL). A control group was treated with CCl4 alone. Cell viability rate was assessed from 0.5 hour to 3 hours. Remarkably, within the 3-hour incubation period, the control group showed a significant decrease in cell viability, ranging in 50% and 69%. In contrast, the group treated with both CCl4 and C-phycocyanin exhibited significantly higher cell viability, ranging from 91.18% to 108.82%.These results strongly suggest that C-phycocyanin possesses the ability to protect hepatocytes from the toxic effects of CCl4 and may promote their recovery. C-phycocyanin therefore holds significant promise as a potential agent for preventing hepatocyte damage induced by CCl4.

Keywords: C-phycocyanin, carbon tetrachloride, hepatocyte prevention, toxicity reduction, survival rate.