Alleviation of carbon tetrachloride‐induced hepatocellular damage and oxidative stress in rats by Anabaena oryzae phycocyanin

Phycocyanin isolated from Anabaena biomass was in‐vitro assayed for its antioxidant activity against DPPH (2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl) and ABTS [2,2′‐azino‐bis(3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulfonic acid)] free radical, revealing maximum activities amounting to 77 and 80% at 1,000 µg/ml and SC50 values about 96 and 111 µg/ml, respectively. A biological experiment was conducted, involving 40 male Wistar Albino rats, divided into five groups. Group I received only the basal diet as a normal control, while groups II, III, IV, and V were administrated intraperitoneal (IP) injection of a single dose of CCl4 (50% in corn oil) at 0.5 ml/kg body weight. Subsequently, groups II, III, IV, and V received phycocyanin at 0.0, 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg body weight/day. CCl4 induced considerable increases (p