摘要Objective:To investigate the hepatoprotective activity of red algaePortieria hornemannii (Lyngbye) Silva (P. hornemannii) andSpyridia fusiformis Boergesen (S. fusiformis) by using the chromium treated rat liver as the animal model. Methods: The extract of red algae at a dosage of 0.200 g/kg of whole body weight was orally administrated to Cr (VI) intoxicated rats for 28 consecutive days. The effect of drug in rats was evaluated by comparing the degree of the production of enzymes responsible for antioxidant activity such lipid peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, catalase and reduced glutathione with Cr (VI) analogs in the absence of any secondary treatment. The overall damage of liver was detected by measuring serum enzymes such as aspartateamino transferase and alanine aminotransferase activities which released into the blood from the damaged cells. Results:It was observed that these enzyme levels were noticed in the animals treated with methanol extracts of red algae (200 mg/kg) through preventing the leakage of the above enzymes into the blood. The hepatoprotection obtained usingLIV 52 (standard reference drug) appeared relatively higher. The antihepatotoxic potential of red algaeP. hornemannii andS. fusiformis might be due to their antioxidative and membrane stabilizing activities. Conclusions: Our results indicated that the extract ofP. hornemannii andS. fusiformis obtained from methanol could be a promising hepatoprotective agent against chromium (VI)-induced liver damage.