Experimental study of ethanolic extract of brown algae Nizimuddinia zanardinii on liver histopathological injury induced by bile duct ligation inrats

liver fibrosis has been recognized as a cause of morbidity and mortality in humans. The oxidative stress in cholestatic liver disease serves as a link between hepatic injury and liver fibrosis. Therefore, any agent that has the capacity of normalizing the oxidative damage, would be able to decrease fibrosis in a cholestatic liver. The brown Algae Nizimuddiniazanardiniiis one of the natural resources in the marine ecosystem which contains biologically active compoundsand it's anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-fungal and antioxidant effects are known.The aim of the present study was the evaluation of the effect of ethanolic extract of brown algaeNizimuddiniazanardinii on liver fibrosis induced by bile duct ligation (BDL) in male rats. 54 male rats were randomly classified in nine groups (n=6): control group (intact rats), sham group (laparatomy without BDL),Nizimuddinia extract control groups (50, 100 or 200 mg/kg). BDL group, experimental treatment groups (BDL rats+ 50, 100 or 200 mg/kg Nizimuddinia). BDL increased the serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin, cholesterol and triglyceride, whereas it reduced the levels of antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase and catalase in the liver and also reduced the serumic levels of albumin and total protein. Treatment of BDL rats with Nizimuddiniazanardiniiextract attenuated these changes. As determined by Masson’s trichrome staining, BDL markedly induced the liver fibrosis. These alterations were also significantly attenuated by Nizimuddiniazanardiniiadministration.  The results of this study indicate the hepatoprotective and antifibrotic effect of Nizimuddinia zanardiniiin the cholestatic liver. The antifibrotic effect of this brown algea likely due to the antioxidative and free radical scavenging effects of it.