| Abstrak/Abstract |
This study was conducted to determine the influence of Sargassum hystrix powder (SHP) as an alternative
source of functional food for treating in vivo stress by measuring levels of glucose, triacylglycerol, total cholesterol, and
cortisol, and liver histopathology. Wistar rats aged 3 months and weighing 150?200 g were divided into 7 groups: normal
control, fasting control, negative control (stress without adaptogen), and 4 experimental conditions (stress+0.18
mg/kg diazepam, stress+450 mg/kg pellet, stress+mixture of pellet with SHP 450 mg/kg, and stress+450 mg/kg of SHP).
Intake of liquids and and body weight were measured daily. Blood samples were collected on day 0 (baseline), day 5, and
day 10 to analyze levels of glucose, triacylglycerol, cholesterol, and cortisol. On day 10, rats were euthanized and livers
were collected to observe the severity of inflammation. The results indicated that rats receiving SHP 450 mg/kg and the
mixture of pellet with SHP 450 mg/kg showed a similar ability as those receiving diazepam 0.18 mg/kg to cope with
stress, indicated by an improvement in all blood biochemistry parameters. Supplementation with SHP 450 mg/kg can be
used as an alternative source of functional food for overcoming oxidative stress, as indicated by its ability to improve levels
of blood glucose, triacylglycerol, total cholesterol, and cortisol, and to improve liver histology by decreasing severity of
liver inflammation. |
