Journal of Pharmaceutical Research International

Objective: To evaluate the acute toxicity, in vitro antioxidant and hepatoprotective activities of Giant African Snail (Achachatina maginata) haemolymph against carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) induced liver damage in albino rats.
Place and Duration of Study: Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Nigeria. It was carried out between September and December, 2014.
Methods: Antioxidant activity of the haemolymph was assayed by DPPH radical scavenging, reducing properties, and inhibition of lipid peroxidation by the haemolymph. In addition, the phenol and flavonoid contents were also evaluated. The safety of the extract was also investigated by the acute oral toxicity limit test. The hepatoprotective activities of the haemolymph were compared with a known hepatoprotective drug, silymarin. For this purpose, twenty adult albino rats were assigned into 5 groups. Group 1 and 2 serves as normal control and CCL₄ control respectively. Group 3-5 were treated with 200 mg/kg, 400 mg/kg haemolymph and 100 mg/kg Silymarin respectively.
Results: The lethal dose (LD₅₀) of haemolymph determined was greater than 5000 mg /kg in rats. The amount of total phenolics and flavonoids were estimated to be 9.30±0.11 mg/g GAE and 15.20±0.59 mg/g catechin equivalent respectively. The haemolymph exhibited concentration dependent in vitro antioxidant activity with an IC₅₀ value of 579.66±2.69 μg/mL in the DPPH radical scavenging activity and 310.75±3.12 μg/mL in lipid peroxidation inhibitory activity but shows low reducing properties compare to ascorbic acid. The liver damage was evidenced by the elevated levels of serum and liver ALT, ALP, serum AST, hepatic thio-barbituric acid reacting substances (TBARS) and reduced serum catalase in CCl₄-hepatotoxic rats. Administration of haemolymph (200/400 mg/kg) and standard control drug silymarin (100 mg/kg) significantly (P<0.05) reduced CCL₄- induced elevations of the levels of AST, ALT, ALP, and TBARS while the reduced concentration of catalase due to CCL₄ was reversed. However, the SOD activities was significantly (P<0.05) higher in CCL₄ treated group compare to the control group.
Conclusion: The present study proved the antioxidant activity of Giant African Snail (Achachatina maginata) haemolymph can be used as accessible source of natural antioxidants with potential application to reduce oxidative stress induced liver damage.