The present invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition for protecting and preventing liver damage containing an extract of Saccharina japonica or fucoxanthin as an active component. When using the extract of Saccharina japonica and fucoxanthin of the present invention as active components, it is possible to activate an AMPK-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway to inhibit apoptosis and induce autophagy, thereby effectively protecting liver cell damage. Therefore, it is possible to be usefully used in pharmaceutical and health functional food fields.COPYRIGHT KIPO 2019