Antioxidant Potentials of Algae and Effects Against Liver and Related Diseases
摘要
Liver is the second largest organ of the body and has many functions responsible for metabolism of drugs. However, due to many essential roles it plays, it is prone to diseases not limited to fibrosis, cirrhosis (alcoholic liver diseases), hepatitis, and nonalcoholic liver ailments. The management of these diseases is characterized by the use of various synthetic drugs, many of which are without side effects. Hence the use of traditional method of therapy (involving say from algae) which has been adjudged to present promising outcomes due to inherent bioactive compounds. The aim of the chapter is to compile the numerous scientific evidence (in silico, in vitro, in vivo) on the pharmacological application of algae in the management of liver-related diseases. Popular databases, conference proceedings, journals, book chapters, and thesis/dissertations are adopted to obtain information on the subject when liver and liver diseases are cross-referenced with keywords such as “algae,” “phytochemistry,” “pharmacology,” and “nutritional component.” The result established phytocompounds, especially astaxanthin detected and/or isolated from algae, to be responsible for the reported antioxidant and associated liver-related therapeutic effects of marine algae. Notwithstanding, the chapter identified the established therapeutic potentials from in vitro and animal models’ investigation using hepatogenic agents including paracetamol, pyrogallol, methyl thiophanate, benzo[a]pyrene, and carbon tetrachloride (which was mostly explored).