The hepatoprotective effects of Ganoderma lucidum peptides against carbon tetrachloride-induced liver injury in mice

Ganoderma lucidum, a traditional Chinese medicinal mushroom, has been widely used for the treatment of chronic hepatopathy of various etiologies. Our previous study showed that peptides isolated from G. lucidum (GLP) possessed potent free radical-scavenging capacities. Here, we evaluated the hepatoprotective effects of GLP, using mice with CCl4-induced liver injuries. Results showed that the serum aminotransferase (ALT/AST) activities and numbers of necrotic and pathological hepatocytes were reduced in a dose-dependent manner in GLP-treated groups. At the dose of 260 mg/kg.bw GLP, the serum malondialdehyde, ALT and AST were statistically significant different to that of positive control groups (P < 0.05). CCl4-induced liver damage was largely prevented as suggested by histopathological examination. In conclusion, our study for the first time demonstrated that GLP showed preventive effects against CCl4-induced liver damage in mice, suggesting that GLP also plays a role for the hepatoprotective effects of G. lucidum extracts.