Hepatoprotective Activity of Haliotis discus hannaiIno Extract on Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Liver Damage in Rats

The hepatoprotective activity of Haliotis discus hannaiIno extract (HDE) against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced liver damage was investigated in rats. LPS (5mg/kg body weight) produced hepatic damage that was manifested by significant increases in the activities of marker enzymes (aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase) and reduced antioxidant (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, malondialdehyde) activities. These antioxidant activities were elevated by HDE administration to LPS-treated rats. These results suggested that HDE extracts had a potential hepatoprotective effect in LPS-induced liver damage without any acute toxicity. In addition, reducing power of the extracts and their ability to scavenge free radicals were evaluated by applying DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) and ABTS [2,2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt]. This study demonstrates that these extracts have potential hepatoprotective activity which is mainly attributed to the antioxidant potential. Practical ApplicationsPacific abalone is an important marine food resource in many Asian countries. A number of experimental studies have demonstrated numerous health benefits of Pacific abalone. In South Korea, abalone has important economic significance as a food and as a functional food. In addition, numerous recent research studies have focused on the nutritional and pharmaceutical values of abalone.