Protective Effect of Administrated Glutathione-enriched Saccharomyces cerevisiae FF-8 Against Carbon Tetrachloride ()-induced Hepatotoxicity and Oxidative Stress in Rats

The present work is aimed to evaluate the protective effect of glutathione-enriched Saccharomyces cerevisiae FF-8 strain on carbon tetrachloride ($CCl_4$)-induced hepatotoxicity and oxidative stress in rats. The activities of liver markers (alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase), lipid peroxidative index (thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances), and the antioxidant status (reduced glutathione) were used to monitor those protective roles of FF-8 strain. The liver marker enzymes in plasma and the lipid peroxidation in the liver were increased when $CCl_4$ was treated but these were significantly decreased by FF-8 strain treatment. The hepatic concentration of glutathione in the current glutathione-enriched FF-8 strain fed animal was approximately twice as high as the normal, but this was slightly increased in response to $CCl_4$ plus glutathione-enriched FF-8 strain. The increased liver triglyceride concentration due to the $CCl_4$ treatment was significantly decreased by FF-8 strain and the reduced level reached to that of normal group. Administration of FF-8 strain in normal rat did not show any signs of harmful effects. Therefore, the current findings suggest that FF-8 strain could be an effective antioxidant with no or negligible side-effects and it might be useful for the purpose of protection treatment of hepatotoxicity and oxidative stress in $CCl_4$-treatment in rat.