Effect of Chlorella, Spirulina and chlorophyllin on fecal excretion of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins in rats

The present paper presents the liver distribution and fecal excretion of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) congeners, such as 1,2,3,7,8-P5CDD, 1,2,3,6,7,8-H6CDD, 1,2,3,1,8,9-H6CDD and 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-H7CDD, in male rats fed with Chlorella, Spirulina and chlorophyllin. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect on PCDD excretion by the chlorophyllin foods. The rats were given some treatment diets containing 20% Chlorella. 20% Spirulina, 0.2, 2% chlorophyllin, 10% rice-bran fiber or 0.2% chlorophyllin + 10% rice-bran fiber for 5 d. Then, the animals were administered 4 g of each diet containing 0.5 ml of the causal rice-bran oil of Yusho that had occurred in the Southwest part of Japan in 1968 and kept on the same diet for another 5 d, The rice-bran oil contaminated with 1,2,3,7,8-P5CDD (6.86 ng/ml), 1,2,3,6,7,8-H6CDD (31.4 ng/ml), 1,2,3,7,8,9-H6CDD (22.4 ng/ml) and 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-H7CDD (121.7 ng/ml) was used for the animal experiments. PCDD congeners in the feces and liver were analyzed by high resolution gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The fecal excretion of 1,2,3,7,8-P5CDD in the groups fed with Chlorella, Spirulina and 2% chlorophyllin were 7.4, 7.1 and 11.0 times higher (p < 0.01), respectively, than that in the control group. Moreover, the fecal excretion of 1,2,3,6,7,8-H5CDD, 1,2,3,7,8,9-H6CDD and 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-H7CDD in the same groups were 4.4-5.3, 2.7-3.7 and 1.7-2.8 times higher, respectively, than that in the control group. These findings suggest that administration of Chlorella, Spirulina and chlorophyllin is useful as a new approach in the treatment of patients exposed to lipophilic xenobiotics.