Anti-oxidant activities of fucosterol from the marine algae Pelvetia siliquosa.

The anti-oxidant activities of fucosterol isolated from the marine algae Pelvetia siliquosa were investigated. Fucosterol exhibited a significant decrease in serum transaminase activities elevated by hepatic damage induced by CCl4-intoxication in rats. Fucosterol inhibited the sGOT and sGPT activities by 25.57 and 63.16%, respectively. Fucosterol showed the increase in the anti-oxidant enzymes such as hepatic cytosolic superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-px) activities by 33.89, 21.56 and 39.24%, respectively, in CCl4-intoxicated rats. These results suggest that fucosterol possess not only the anti-oxidant, but also the hepatoprotective activities in rats.