Aim: To investigate the effects of a Cetraria islandica extract in an animal model of hepatopathy.
Material and methods: The experiments were carried out on Wistar rats, treated intraperitoneally (excepting carbon tetrachloride which was administered orally by esogastric tube), at single daily dose, for 28 days and divided in eight groups of 6 rats each: Group 1: Saline solution (0.5ml/100g bw/day); Group 2: MgSO4 (5mg/kbw/day); Group 3: C. islandica (Ci) extract (21.56mg/kbw/day); Group 4: Ci+MgSO4; Group 5: carbon tetrachloride (CT).(0.1 ml/100g bw/day); Group 6: CT+MgSO4; Group 7: CT+Ci; Group 8: CT+Ci+MgSO4. At the end of the experiment blood samples were taken to assess the effects on the blood parameters,TGO, TGP, GGT, LDH, serum total billirubin, neutrophil phagocytic function (Nitroblue tetrazolium test) and serum complement activity. This parameters were determined with VITROS 750 XRC device, using Johnson&Johnson kits. The results were statistically processed with the help of "t-Student" test. p<0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: In this carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatopathy animal model, C. islandica extract demonstrated hepatoprotective and immuno-stimulating effects (proved by normalization of glutamic-pyruvic transminase, glutamic-oxalocetic transminase, serum total billirubin, stimulation of neutrophils percentage and phagocytic functions, decreasing the carbon tetrachloride-induced basophilia and monocytosis, especially in association with magnesium).
Conclusions: Further studies are required to confirm the benefits of this association in hepatoprotective and immunomodulating therapies.