Search for cytotoxic agents in multiple Laurencia complex seaweed species (Ceramiales, Rhodophyta) harvested from the Atlantic Ocean with emphasis on the Brazilian State of Espírito Santo

Abstract

Abstract:The development of new anti-cancer drugs of algal origin represents one of the least explored frontiers in medicinal chemistry. In this regard, the diversity of micro-and macroalgae found in Brazilian coastal waters can be viewed as a largely untapped natural resource. In this report, we describe a comparative study on the cytotoxic properties of extracts obtained from thetranslucida, L. sp, and Palisada flagellifera. All of these species were collected in the coastal waters of the State of Espírito Santo, Brazil. Four out of the twelve samples initially investigated were found to show significant levels of toxicity towards a model tumor cell line (human uterine sarcoma, MES-SA). The highest levels of cytotoxicity were typically associated with non-polar (hexane) algal extracts, while the lowest levels of cytotoxicity were found with the corresponding polar (methanol) extracts. In this report, we also describe a biological model currently in development that will not only facilitate the search for new anti-cancer drug candidates of algal origin, but also permit the identification of compounds capable of inducing the destruction of multi-drug resistant tumors with greater efficiency than the pharmaceuticals currently in clinical use.

Antitumoral Effect of Laurinterol on 3D Culture of Breast Cancer Explants

“…Both CE and L1 showed similar viability percentage, due to the great amount of L1 in the CE. The cytotoxic effects of Laurencia extracts against different cell lines were reported [23,32,33], showing a wide spectrum of toxicity according to the species, geography, and solvent used for the extraction. L1 was also evaluated in cell lines including MCF-7, with similar results to our findings [8].…”

Overview of the taxonomy and of the major secondary metabolites and their biological activities related to human health of the Laurencia complex (Ceramiales, Rhodophyta) from Brazil

“…Many of these natural products are pharmacologically active and marine algae, especially those from tropical and subtropical seas, are able to produce a wide range of compounds, many of which exhibit at least some degree of bioactivity (Fernández et al, 1998(Fernández et al, , 2005da Gama et al, 2002;Cassano et al, 2008;Lhullier et al, 2009;Machado et al, 2011;Santos et al, 2010). In fact, the marine environment represents a treasure trove of useful products awaiting discovery for the treatment of infectious and parasitic diseases (Vairappan et al, 2004;Morales et al, 2006), cancer (Mohammed et al, 2004;Stein et al, 2011), cognitive diseases, inflammatory processes, and viral infections (Sakemi et al, 1986). Despite the many structures known and their ecological and pharmacological importance, only a few biosynthetic studies have been performed on marine terpenoid compounds (Gross & König, 2006).…”

New drugs with antiprotozoal activity from marine algae: a review

“…The HIV/AIDS pandemic has contributed to the increased number of leishmaniasis cases in endemic areas (Alvar et al, 2008). In Brazil, more than 27,000 cases of CL were reported between 1988(MS, 2011, and more than 70,000 cases of VL and four deaths were reported between 1980 and 2008 (Werneck, 2010).…”

“…Furthermore, isolated compounds, extracts and fractioned extracts have been reported to yield important biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, leishmanicidal, decrease in triacylglyceride levels in the liver and serum, for the treatment of Leprosy, as well as for their trypanocidal, antioxidant, anticancer and microbicidal properties (Tanaka et al, 1975;Cardozo et al, 2007;Stein et al, 2011). Therefore, many studies have been published, and many patents for chemicals extracted from marine algae have been registered for human health and nutrition.…”