Sunday June 15, 2014 (foodconsumer.org) — Spirulina maxima as a deitary supplement can help prevent liver damage induced by medications like isoniazid and rifampicin, a study published in Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine suggests.
Isoniazid and rifampicin are used as antituberculosis treatments, but they can cause severe hepatotoxicity and remedies with prophylactic and therapeutic effects are highly desired.
The study shows co-administration of spirulina maxima along with the antituberculosis drugs prevented the liver of rats from being damaged by isoniazid and rifampicin.
Isoniazid and rifampicin when used alone caused abnormal biomarkers of liver function in rats like “bilirubin, aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, and oxidative stress markers such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances,” indicating they caused liver damage.
In addition to its preventative effect against liver damage, Spirulina maxima was found to be able to restore liver function damaged by these two drugs.
In the rats that had suffered liver damage, continuously administering Spirulina maxima for two weeks restored hepatic function, meaning that the dietary supplement may be used as a treatment.
The study concluded “The present study revealed remarkable prophylactic and therapeutic potential of Spirulina maxima. Co-administration of Spirulina maxima and antituberculosis drugs is advantageous as it provides extra nutritional benefit.”
The study suggests that Spirulina maxima may be used as a preventative to prevent liver damage in patients who take any drugs that may potentially cause hepatotoxicity.
Spirulina maxima (Arthrospira maxima) and another popular algae Spirulina platensis (Arthrospira platensis) are available as dietary supplements. These dietary supplements are very high in nutritional value and provide many health benefits including anticancer, antidiabetes and antihypercholesterolemia among other things. (david Liu, PHD)
Jatav SK, Kulshrestha A, Zacharia A, Singh N, Tejovathi G, Bisen PS, Prasad GB. Spirulina maxima Protects Liver From Isoniazid and Rifampicin Drug Toxicity. J Evid Based Complementary Altern Med. 2014 Apr 17;19(3):189-194.
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