hepatoprotective effects of extracted polysaccharide from brittle star (ophiocoma erinaceus) against carbon tetrachloride-induced acute liver injury in rats

Background: the exploration of marine-derived natural products, particularly polysaccharides, has highlighted their significant hepatoprotective effects, showcasing their therapeutic potential in liver-related studies. this research concentrated on the extraction of total polysaccharides from the brittle star species ophiocoma erinaceus (o. erinaceus). this study investigated the role of persian gulf brittle star polysaccharide (bsp) in immunotherapy and chemotherapy within a rat model of acute liver injury induced by carbon tetrachloride (ccl4).methods: the dried brittle stars underwent mechanical grinding to facilitate the extraction of the polysaccharide. subsequent to the ccl4 induction, the rats assigned to the bsp treatment group received intragastric administration of bsp at dosages of 12.5, 25, and 37.5 mg/kg body weight daily for seven days. we meticulously evaluated the levels of various biochemical markers. moreover, western blot analysis was conducted to ascertain the expression levels of interleukin (il)-1β, tumor necrosis factor (tnf)-α, il-6, and adenosine a2a receptors. the rats were subjected to treatment with a 0.1% ccl4 solution (0.2 ml/10 g) mixed with soybean oil over the span of seven days.results: the methodologies implemented for polysaccharide detection effectively isolated crude polysaccharides from the brittle star indigenous to the persian gulf. the treatment with bsp yielded a significant reduction in the expressions of il-6 (5.75), tnf-α (2.115), and il-1β (4.465) among rats subjected to ccl4 intoxication. furthermore, the administration of bsp resulted in an upregulation of the adenosine a2a receptor (2.05) in these ccl4-intoxicated rats. additionally, rats administered with bsp displayed notable enhancements in the activities of superoxide dismutase (sod) (87.5%), catalase (cat) (72.5%), glutathione peroxidase (gpx) (81.25%), and glutathione s-transferase (gst) (83.8%), accompanied by a significant decrease in reduced glutathione (gsh) levels (81.3%).conclusion: the therapeutic efficacy of bsp is expected to extend to rats subjected to ccl4 intoxication. recent investigations suggest that bsp may function as a therapeutic agent for these ccl4-intoxicated rats. accordingly, these findings contribute novel insights into the hepatoprotective potential of bsp, establishing it as a promising candidate for hepatic treatment.