Molecular networking-based analysis of cytotoxic saponins from sea cucumber holothuria atra

The saponin composition of a specimen of black sea cucumber, Holothuria atra collected in the Persian Gulf was studied by a combined approach including LC-MS/MS, Molecular Networking,pure compound isolation, and NMR spectroscopy. The saponin composition of Holothuria atra turned out to be more complex than previously reported. The most abundant saponins in the extract (1–4) were isolated and characterized by 1D- and 2D-NMR experiments. Compound 1 was identified as a new triterpene glycoside saponin, holothurin A5. The side chain of the new saponin 1, unprecedented among triterpene glycosides, is characterized by an electrophilic enone function, which can undergo slow water or methanol addition under neutral conditions. The cytotoxic activity of compounds 1–4, evaluated on the human cervix carcinoma HeLa cell line, was remarkable, with IC50 values ranging from 1.2 to 2.5 ug/mL

Cytotoxic, antioxidant and phytochemical analysis of Gracilaria species from Persian Gulf

Background: Marine algae, also called seaweeds, are abundantly present in the coastal area of Iran, especially in Persian Gulf. These plants contain important phytochemical constituents and have potential biological activities. The present study investigated the presence of phytochemical constituents and total phenolic quantification of the seaweeds Gracilaria salicornia and Gracilaria corticata. Cytotoxicity of seaweeds was tested against HT-29, HeLa, and MCF-7 cell lines. Antioxidant potential of these two Gracilaria species was also analyzed. Materials and Methods: Extracts of G. salicornia and G. corticata were subjected to phytochemical and cytotoxicity tests. Phytochemical screenings were employed to identify the chemical constituents and total phenolic content. Cytotoxicity was characterized by IC50of human cancer cell lines (MCF-7, HeLa, and HT-29) using sulforhodamine assay. Antioxidant activities were evaluated using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl. Results: The analysis revealed that tannins were the most abundant compounds in G. corticata while sterols and triterpenes were the most abundant ones in G. salicornia, but the total phenolic content of the two seaweeds was similar. Cytotoxic results showed that both species could inhibit cell growth effectively, especially against HT-29 cell line. Conclusion: Considerable phytochemicals, high antioxidant potential, and moderate cytotoxic activity of G. salicornia and G. corticata make them appropriate candidates for further studies and identification of their bioactive principles

Phytochemical and biological evaluation of some Sargassum species from Persian Gulf

Sea algae are widely consumed in the world. There are several seaweeds including brown algae which are authorized for human consumption. These plants contain important phytochemical constituents and have various potential biological activities. The present study investigated the presence of phytochemical constituents and total phenolic quantity of the seaweeds Sargassum angustifolium, Sargassum oligocystum and Sargassum boveanum. Cytotoxicity of seaweeds was tested against HT-29, HeLa and MCF-7 cell lines. Antioxidant potential of these 3 Sargassum species was also analyzed. Cytotoxicity was characterized by IC50 of human cancer cell lines using sulforhodamine assay. Antioxidant activities were evaluated using 2,2-diphenyl-1- picrylhydrazil. The analysis revealed that tannins, saponins, sterols and triterpenes were the most abundant compounds in these Sargassum species while cyanogenic and cardiac glycosides were the least ones. Sargassum angustifolium had the highest content of total phenolics (0.061 mg/g) and showed the highest antioxidant activity (IC50 = 0.231). Cytotoxic results showed that all species could inhibit cell growth effectively, especially MCF-7 cell line (IC50 = 67.3, 56.9, 60.4 for S. oligocystum, S. angustifolium and S. boveanum respectively). Considerable phytochemicals and moderate cytotoxic activity of S. angustifolium, S. oligocystum and S. boveanum make them appropriate candidate for further studies and identification of their bioactive principles

Effects of hydroalcoholic, methanolic, and hexane extracts of brown algae Sargassum angustifolium on scopolamine-induced memory impairment and learning deficit in rodents

Background and purpose: Properties of Alzheimer's disease, can be caused by several reasons and there is no definite treatment for it. We aimed to study the effect of the hydroalcoholic extract, methanolic and n-hexane fractions of brown algae Sargassum angustifolium on memory impairment in mice and rats. Experimental approach: Hydroalcoholic extract (25, 50, 100, 200 mg/kg), methanolic (20 and 40 mg/kg) and n-hexane (40 and 60 mg/kg) fractions of S. angustifolium were administered for 21 days intraperitoneally before scopolamine injection (2 mg/kg) on day 21. Rivastigmine was administered for 3 weeks intraperitoneally as well. Then, cognitive function was evaluated by three behavioral tests: passive avoidance, object recognition, and the Morris Water Maze test. Findings/Results: Scopolamine induced memory impairment and rivastigmine significantly reversed the memory dysfunction in all three tests. Hydroalcoholic extract and methanolic fraction significantly reversed scopolamine-induced memory impairment in passive avoidance by 64% and 55% and enhanced the recognition index in the object recognition test. In the Morris water maze test probe trial and training session, on days 3 and 4, the hydroalcoholic extract showed a significant decrease in time spent in the target quadrant and path length, respectively. Also, hydroalcoholic extract and methanolic fraction decreased escape latency time in training sessions on days 3 and 4, by 50% and 31% in comparison to scopolamine. N-hexane fractions had no significant effect on scopolamine-induced cognitive impairment. Conclusion and implications: Although the n-hexane fraction wasn’t effective, the administration of hydroalcoholic extract and the methanolic fraction of S. angustifolium enhanced scopolamine-induced memory impairment

Clinical Pharmacognosy: A New Interesting Era of Pharmacy in the Third Millennium

Pharmacy is known as a branch related to healthcare services [Stubbings, 2011]. According to the features of pharmacognosy and clinical pharmacy two distinctive and important subjects of pharmacy in this editorial it has been introduced as a new integrated and multidisciplinary feature between these two subjects named; "clinical pharmacognosy"

A review on the cytotoxicity and antibacterial effect of marine organisms of Persian Gulf

Marine organisms contain several natural products and bioactive compounds, including hydrolyzed proteins, antioxidant peptides, gelatin, collagen, ω-3 unsaturated fatty acids, vitamin A, vitamin D, calcium phosphate, hydroxyapatite, chitosan, lectin, and various toxins. They can inhibit diverse diseases, be used in pharmaceutical compounds, or as antibiotics and pigments. In this regard, these microorganisms are of crucial medicinal and economical importance. Thanks to new technologies and advanced laboratory methods, bioactive compounds can be extracted from aquatic organisms. In this review study, the cytotoxicity (IC50) and antibacterial effect of various extracts from marine organisms of the Persian Gulf are explored, compiled, and compared. Due to their easy accessibility, most of the studies are green, red, and brown algae

Evaluation of the Anti-tuberculosis and Cytotoxic Potential of the Seaweed Padina australis: Antituberculosis and cytotoxic potential of the seaweed Padina australis

Marine seaweeds synthesize different types of compounds with various biological activities, including antituberculosis and anticancer effects. The aim of this study was to evaluate anti tuberculosis of Padina australis and cytotoxicity of different fractions of this seaweed. Padinaaustralis was collected from Persian Gulf, identified and extracted by maceration with methanol-ethyl acetate. The extract was evaporated and partitioned by Kupchan method to yield Hexane, dichloromethane, Butanol and water partitions. The anti-tuberculosis activity of the crude extract and cytotoxicity of fractions were investigated using GFPMA and MTT methods. The cell survivals of HeLa cell were decreased by increasing the concentration of extracts. The IC50 value of hexane, dichloromethane, butanol and water partitions were 2.0, 20, 19.7, and 182.7μg/ml, respectively. The crude extract was not active against tuberculosis. This study reveals that different partitions of Padina australis have cytotoxic activity against cancer cell lines

Cytotoxicity of Sargassum angustifolium Partitions against Breast and Cervical Cancer Cell Lines

Background: Marine organisms produce a variety of compounds with pharmacological activities including anticancer effects. This study attempt to find cytotoxicity of hexane (HEX), dichloromethane (DCM), and butanol (BUTOH) partitions of Sargassum angustifolium. Materials and Methods: S. angustifolium was collected from Bushehr, a Southwest coastline of Persian Gulf. The plant was extracted by maceration with methanol-ethyl acetate. The extract was evaporated under vacuum and partitioned by Kupchan method to yield HEX, DCM, and BUTOH partitions. The cytotoxic activity of the extract (150, 450, and 900 μg/ml) was investigated against MCF-7 (breast cancer), HeLa (cervical cancer), and human umbilical vein endothelial cells cell lines by mitochondrial tetrazolium test assay after 72 h. Results: The cell survivals of HeLa and MCF-7 cell were decreased by increasing the concentration of extracts from 150 μg/ml to 900 μg/ml. The median growth inhibitory concentration value of HEX partition was 71 and 77 μg/ml against HeLa and MCF-7, dichloromethane partition was 36 and 88 μg/ml against HeLa and MCF-7, respectively. BUTOH partition was 25 μg/ml against MCF-7. Conclusion: This study reveals that different partitions of S. angustifolium have cytotoxic activity against cancer cell lines

Evaluation of Cytotoxic and Antioxidant Activity and Total Phenolic Content of Some Soft Corals from the Persian Gulf: Cytotoxic, Antioxidant Activity and Total Phenolic Content of Persian Gulf Soft Corals

Marine soft corals contain a variety of secondary metabolites with diverse, biological activities, including cytotoxic and anti-oxidant. The aim of this study was to evaluate the total phenolic content, antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of some soft corals of Persian Gulf including: Junceella juncea, Cavernularia sp., white Menella sp., brown Menella sp., Virgularia sp., Sinularia compressa, Sinularia variablis and Sinulariapolydactyla were collected from Persian Gulf and extracted by maceration with methanol-ethyl acetate (1:1) solvent. The extract was evaporated and the total phenolic content was evaluated by using the Folin-ciocalteu reagent. The antioxidant activity of corals was tested by using DPPH photometric assay and cytotoxic activity of them against MCF-7 and OVCAR-3 cancer cell lines were performed. The cell survivals of MCF-7 and OVCAR-3 cell lines were decreased by increasing the concentration of the extracts. The brown Menella sp. showed the highest cytotoxic activity against MCF-7 with IC50 values of 325.45±2.57 μg/ml and S. polydactyla showed the highest cytotoxic activity against OVCAR-3 cell line with IC50 values of 260.99±7.93 μg/ml. White Menella sp. showed the highest antioxidant activity with IC50 values 0.056 μg/ml. Finally Cavernularia sp. had the most polyphenol content with 186.33 mg/L. Key words: soft corals, antioxidant DPPH photometric assay, total phenolic content, Folin–Ciocalteu method, cytotoxic activity, Persian Gulf