The Protective Effect of ENA Actimineral Resource A on CCl ₄-Induced Liver Injury in Rats

ENA Actimineral Resource A (ENA-A) is alkaline water that is composed of refined edible cuttlefish bone and two different species of seaweed, Phymatolithon calcareum and Lithothamnion corallioides. In the present study, ENA-A was investigated as an antioxidant to protect against CCl ₄-induced oxidative stress and hepatotoxicity in rats. Liver injury was induced by either subacute or chronic CCl ₄ administration, and the rats had free access to tap water mixed with 0% (control group) or 10% (v/v) ENA-A for 5 or 8 weeks. The results of histological examination and measurement of antioxidant activity showed that the reactive oxygen species production, lipid peroxidation, induction of CYP2E1 were decreased and the antioxidant activity, including glutathione and catalase production, was increased in the ENA-A groups as compared with the control group. On 2-DE gel analysis of the proteomes, 13 differentially expressed proteins were obtained in the ENA-A groups as compared with the control group. Antioxidant proteins, including glutathione S-transferase, kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1, and peroxiredoxin 1, were increased with hepatocyte nuclear factor 3-beta and serum albumin precursor, and kininogen precursor decreased more in the ENA-A groups than compared to the control group. In conclusion, our results suggest that ENA-A does indeed have some protective capabilities against CCl ₄-induced liver injury through its antioxidant function.