Hepatoprotective and toxicological evaluation of tropical Sargassum polycystum C. Agardh collected from Sumbawa coast Indonesia, against carbon tetrachloride-induced liver damage in rats.

Pharmacological activities of seaweed, including its antioxidant effect, have been demonstrated and can protect macromolecules from xenobiotic-induced damage. Understanding the potency of seaweed as a hepatoprotection and its toxicity remains underexplored. The aims of this study were to investigate the antioxidant and hepatoprotective activity, as well as the toxicological potencies of S. polycystum ethyl acetate extract against carbon tetrachloride-induced liver damage in rats. Total phenolic content and total flavonoid contents were quantified using standard spectroscopy-based methods. The antioxidant activity was measured using 1,1-Diphenyl- 2-picryl Hydrazil scavenging radical, while the composition of compounds was identified by LCMS/MS. After seven days of post-administrated rats with S. polycystum ethyl acetate extract, the serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT) and serum glutamic pyruvate transaminase (SGPT) levels were tested. Total phenolic content, total flavonoid content and IC50 of S. polycystum ethyl acetate extract were 1.28±0.04 of GAE/g, 13.32±0.48 QE/g and 744.726μg/mL, respectively. S. polycystum ethyl acetate extract 150mg/kg BW provides a hepatoprotective effect with a significant improvement in the levels of SGOT (134.845 U/l±9.645) and SGPT (60.238 U/l ± 9.645) (p<0.05). S. polycystum ethyl acetate extract potentially protected the damage induced by CCl4 in the rat's liver at a certain concentration, while a higher extract concentration requires further examination.