Hepatoprotective effect of β-chitosan from gladius of Sepioteuthis lessoniana against carbon tetrachloride-induced oxidative stress in Wistar rats.

Chitosan has attracted much attention as a biomedical material, owing to its unique biological activities. In this study, hepatoprotective effect of β-chitosan obtained from the gladius of squid Sepioteuthis lessoniana was studied against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced oxidative stress and liver injury in rats. The rats that received β-chitosan along with the administration of CCl4 showed significantly decreased plasma and tissue alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities and total cholesterol, triglyceride (TG) and free fatty acid (FFA) contents, whereas the treatment with β-chitosan alone markedly increased rat hepatic and circulatory superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and reduced glutathione (GSH) levels and decreased the malondialdehyde level. Histopathological observations recommended the marked hepatoprotective effect of β-chitosan. The CCl4-induced alterations on circulatory and hepatic antioxidant defence system were normalised by β-chitosan, and it could be concluded that the hepatoprotective effect of chitosan may be due to its antioxidant and antilipidemic property. Therefore, β-chitosan could be considered as antihepatotoxic agent.