The chemical composition of three edible seaweeds (Codium capitatum, Hypnea spicifera and Sargassum elegans) and two inedible seaweeds (Halimeda cuneata and Spyridia hypnoides) from the Indian Ocean along the KwaZulu-Natal East Coast, South Africa were investigated as a function of seasonal variation. The proximate compositions of the edible seaweeds were determined. In edible seaweeds, the moisture level ranged from 85.4 to 89.5%, protein from 6.1 to 11.8%, lipids from 7.5 to 13.1% and carbohydrates from 37.8 to 71.9%. Elemental concentrations in the five studied seaweeds varied significantly with season (P < 0.05) with mean elemental concentrations (in µg g(-1), dry weight) being: Ca (29 260), Mg (6 279), Fe (1 086), Cu (145.9), Mn (48.32), As (24.29), Zn (15.65), Ni (9.83), Cr (5.78), Pb (4.84), Co (0.87) and Se (0.86). The concentrations of As were particularly high in S. elegans, ranging from 94.70 ± 6.6 µg g(-1) in winter to 65.10 ± 2.3 µg g(-1) in summer. Hierarchical cluster analysis showed similar distribution of elements in edible seaweeds which was dissimilar to that in inedible seaweeds. This study suggests that edible macro alga, C. capitatum and H. spicifera, could be potential sources of most essential nutrients and may contribute positively to the diet without posing the risk of adverse health effects due to low concentrations of toxic elements. However, due to high levels of As in S. elegans, its consumption should be moderated to reduce dietary exposure to this toxic element.
This study investigated the in vitro anticancer potential of phytochemical constituents isolated from the methanolic extract of Eriocephalus africanus.One flavanone (hesperidin) and two flavones (luteolin and apigenin) were isolated for the first time from the plant using column chromatography.Standard MTT assay was used to evaluate the effect of the constituents on cell viability in MCF-7, A549, HepG2 and normal HEK 293 cell lines. The flavonoids decreased cell viability in a dose-dependent manner in all tested cell lines.Hesperidin and luteolin were more sensitive against MCF-7, with EC 50 values of 62.57 µg/mL and 70.34 µg/mL, respectively and apigenin showed the most potent activity against HepG2 (EC 50 = 11.93 µg/mL). The results revealed E. africanus to be a rich source of flavonoids and natural anticancer agents, which could potentially be used in the development of new therapeutics for cancer treatment.
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