GABA-enriched Fermented Laminaria japonica Protects against Alcoholic Hepatotoxicity in Sprague-Dawley Rats

Abstract

The sea tangle, Laminaria japonica has long been used in Korea as a folk remedy to promote health. Gamma-amino butyric acid-enriched (5.56% of dry weight) sea tangle was obtained by fermentation with Lactobacillus brevis BJ-20 (FLJ). A suppressive effect of FLJ on carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity has been shown previously. Alcohol administration to Sprague-Dawley rats leads to hepatotoxicity, as demonstrated by heightened levels of hepatic marker enzymes as well as increases in both the number and volume of lipid droplets as fatty liver progresses. However, FLJ attenuated alcohol-induced hepatotoxicity and the accumulation of lipid droplets following ethanol administration. Additionally, FLJ increased the activities and transcript levels of major alcoholmetabolizing enzymes, such as alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase, and reduced blood concentrations of alcohol and acetaldehyde. These data suggest that FLJ protects against alcohol-induced hepatotoxicity and that FLJ could be used as an ingredient in functional foods to ameliorate the effects of excessive alcohol consumption.