Antioxidative effect of chitosan on chronic carbon tetrachloride induced hepatic injury in rats

Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) is a toxic material known to induce lipid peroxidation and liver damage. To determine if chitosan has antioxidative effects on CCl4-induced liver injury, we administered 1 ml/kg Of CCl4 resolved in a 50% corn oil solution to rats every week by intraperitoneal injection. Chitosan (200 mg/kg body weight per day, MW 3 80 000 Da) was administered to the CCl4+chitosan treated rats by oral gavage during the experimental period. Chitosan significantly decreased liver thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and increased antioxidant enzyme activities (catalase and superoxide dismutase (SOD)). Fatty acid composition was not remarkably changed by chitosan; only arachidonic acid (20:4n-6) levels were significantly altered by CCl4. Chitosan administration in the present experiment did not restore the decreased Delta5-desaturase activity. In addition, chitosan supplementation did not prevent the CCl4 induced degradation of CYP2E1. In conclusion, our results suggest that chitosan has antioxidative but not detoxifying effects on chronic CCl4 induced hepatic injury in rats. (C) 2003 Published by Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.