Spirulina Platensis Attenuates Chlorpyrifos-Induced Hepatotoxicity in Rats via Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammation, and Anti-Apoptotic Mechanisms

Mohammed, Menna; El-Yamany, Nabil A.; Abdel Moneim, Ahmed E.; Salem, Fatma Elzahraa H.; Elmasry, Heba M.

doi:10.21608/eajbsc.2025.463405

Spirulina Platensis Attenuates Chlorpyrifos-Induced Hepatotoxicity in Rats via Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammation, and Anti-Apoptotic Mechanisms

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Department of Zoology and Entomology, Faculty of Science, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt.

10.21608/eajbsc.2025.463405

Abstract

Background and Aim: The current study was designed to estimate spirulina’s (SP) potential role against chlorpyrifos-triggered hepatotoxicity in adult male albino rats. Experimental Approach: 28 Wistar male albino rats were categorized to 4 groups (n=7) as following: a control group; a chlorpyrifos group that received chlorpyrifos (5 mg/kg; daily oral administration for 21 consecutive days); a spirulina group that received SP (500 mg/kg; daily oral administration for 21 consecutive days); and a fourth group that received SP 1 h after CPF administration for 21 consecutive days. Findings and Conclusions: CPF intoxication increased the levels of serum liver function markers alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) as compared to control group. Also, there was an elevation in the content of oxidative stress biomarkers malondialdehyde and nitric oxide (MDA and NO) contaminants with a significant reduction in superoxide dismutase (SOD), reduced glutathione (GSH) levels and catalase (CAT) concentration as antioxidant indicators. Furthermore, animals’ livers intoxicated with CPF recorded a significant elevation of interleukin-1beta (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) as indicators for inflammation as well as apoptosis biomarkers Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) and cysteine-aspartic acid protease-3 (Caspase-3). At the same time, there was a marked decrease in anti-apoptotic markers B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2). However, the post-treatment of SP showed that, there was an improvement in ALT, AST and ALP levels. The levels of these enzymes were reduced. Furthermore, increasing of GSH levels, SOD and CAT activities in liver tissue homogenate and significantly decreasing the levels of MDA and NO. administration of SP (500mg/kg) after one hour of CPF (5mg/kg) administration for 21 consecutive days, significantly reduced the increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines in liver tissue homogenate. Also, significantly alleviate the level of apoptotic markers BAX and caspase-3, but increase the level of antiapoptotic markers Bcl-2 in the liver tissue. In conclusion, the present study showed that SP has free radical scavenging, inflammation-suppressing, and apoptosis-inhibiting properties in the hepatic tissue of CPF-intoxicated wistar male albino rats.

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