Cytotoxic activity, phenolic content, and fatty acid of brown algae from tropical reefs

Abstract

New cancer therapies development is a huge demand. This research evaluated cytotoxic activity against normal and cancer cells of brown algae (Dictyotales) extracts with high antioxidant activity. Canistrocarpus cervicornis , Dictyopteris delicatula and Lobophora variegata extracts from two beaches of Pernambuco were obtained by two serial maceration method: 1° Extraction—dichloromethane and methanol (2:1 v/v) and subsequently water at 60 °C; 2° Extraction—dichloromethane and methanol (2:1 v/v), subsequently ethanol and finally water at 80 °C. Phenolic compounds and cytotoxicity against normal cell lines L-929 (murine fibroblast), PBMC (human peripheral blood mononuclear cells) and J774A1 (mouse macrophages), and cancer cell lines P815 (murine mastocytoma), S-180 (murine Sarcoma), NCI-H292 (human lung mucoepidermoid carcinoma), HCT-116 (human colorectal carcinoma), JUKART (human T cell leukaemia) and MCF-7 (human breast adenocarcinoma) were assessed. Only for L-929 strain, among normal cells, extracts presented cytotoxicity. Organic extracts showed moderate to high cytotoxic activity against P815, MCF-7 and HCT-116 cancer cell lines. Organic extract L. variegata Jaguaribe 2° Extraction exhibited the best cytotoxic activity with high IC 50 values (28–35 µg/mL). Thus, we evaluate its acids profile that showed important polyunsaturated fatty acids and carboxylic acid, such as arachidonic acid and cinnamic acid that is being reported to L. variegata for the first time. Various research demonstrated the anticancer activity of this substance. Therefore, the high cytotoxic activity of our most active extract could be due to the presence of fatty acids and carboxylic acid, acting synergically, including cinnamic acid. These results encourage macroalgae use as an anticancer metabolites source for human therapies.

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