Assessment of anticancer potential of selected Holothuria species

272-280All pharmaceutical fields are concerned about increase in cancer incidence throughout the world. Therefore, the discovery of new substances from natural origin to produce the cytotoxic drugs is required. For this purpose, we evaluated the anticancer activity of three Holothuria sea cucumbers species (Holothuria scabra, H. parva and H. leucospilota) from the Persian Gulf, Iran, of their extract from different organs, such as gonads (G), body wall (BW), intestine tract (IT), respiratory tree (RT), coelomic fluid (CF) and cuvierian tubules (CT) using organic solvents of n-Hexane (n-Hex), ethyl acetate (EtOAc) and Methanol (MeOH). Then cytotoxicity potential of each fraction was estimated using MTT assay to comparison of cell viability of human cancer (Caco-2) vs normal cell lines (HeLa). The data illustrated that toxicity toward cell lines (Caco-2) was only noticed for EtOAc extracts of BW organs of H. parva (up to 92% at 250 µg/mL, IC50=16.78 μg/mL), followed by EtOAc extracts of CF organs of H. scabra (up to 88% at 250 µg/mL, IC50=24.36 μg/mL). While, the more effective extracts was noticed against HeLa cells was detected for EtOAc extracts of IT organs of H. Parva (up to 80% at 250 µg/mL, IC50=46.25 μg/mL). Significant cytotox potential were found in this study, which may be linked to the presence of possible anticancer compounds in chosen fractions and selective toxicity toward different cell lines

Fisheries impact on trophic levels: North of the Persian Gulf case study, 2002-2011

468-474There are few documented reports about the trophic structure and catch composition of trawl fishery in the Persian Gulf. In this study, the changes in the marine food webs in the North of Persian Gulf along the Bushehr province coastal water of Iran was determined based on the estimates of the two indicators, mean trophic level (MTI) and Fishing in Balanced (FiB) index for the last decade (2002-2011). The data indicated an increase in total landings (of 49 exploited species), and moderate increasing trend in both MTL and FiB-index was observed. Even though the Iranian coastal fishing has increased over time, it has a low impact on the trophic structure of marine communities in this region. The study suggested that it may be due to occurrence of ‘‘fishing up’’ phenomenon in this area and there is a need to expand fishing to offshore and deep waters for discovery of new and high-TL species

Phycosynthesis of Antimicrobial Ulva prolifera-Fe3O4 Magnetic Nanoparticles

Background and Aims: The growing concern about bacterial strains resistant to antibiotics reveals the urgent need to discover and develop new types of bactericidal agents. Materials and Methods: In the present study, in a pioneering step to phycosynthesis of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe3O4 MNPs) with antimicrobial potency, the process was initially exploited using an aqueous extract of green marine algae Ulva prolifera, and further evaluated the antimicrobial activity of biosynthetic magnetite nanoparticles against eight bacterial strains and three strains of fungi. Results: In the present study, the U. prolifera/Fe3O4-MNPs showed a strong inhibitory effect on gram-positive bacteria and relatively modest antifungal activity than fungal pathogenic agents. The highest antibacterial activity compared to strain Staphylococcus epidermidis (19 ± 0.6 mm) and consequently in Bacillus subtilis (18 ± 0.03 mm) and Bacillus pumulis (18 ± 0.2 mm) were observed. However, the bactericidal effects of magnetite nanoparticles were more effective than gram-positive bacteria compared to gram-negative ones.  In the present study, we also observed a relatively modest antifungal activity in the anesthetized nanoparticles compared to Saccharomyces cervisiae (11 ± 0.4 mm), and this was the most sensitive fungal strain relative to the fungicidal activity of these nanoparticles. Conclusions: The results of this study indicated that biosynthetic magnetite nanoparticles can be introduced as a new antibacterial to the pharmaceutical field and medicine

The possibility of occurrence of the phenomenon “fishing down marine food webs” in the coastal waters of Hormozgan Province (north of the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea)

We examined the temporal trend in mean trophic level (mTL), trophic category landing (TrC) and landing profile (LP) of the exploited marine community (49 species) in the fishing zone of Hormozgan (north of Persian Gulf and Oman Sea) from 2001 to 2011. LP had an increasing trend (r = 0.88, P<0.001), whereas, mTL of the landings showed a significant decrease from 2001 to 2011 (r = -0.69, P<0.05). We observed a decreasing trend in the landing of carnivores and predators of the upper level food web during the study period, which could be a sign for the phenomenon of fishing down marine food web in the water bodies of Hormozgan Province. The results of cluster analysis and nonmetric dimentional scale divided the composition and amount of landings into two year groups (2001–2007 and 2008–2011). Analysis of similarity revealed a significant difference between these two year groups (r=0.88; P=0.005). Benthosema pterotum and Thunnus albacores were responsible for this dissimilarity in composition and amount of these two groups

<em>In vitro</em> biological activities of holothurians edible sea cucumbers in the Persian Gulf

1518-1526The biological activities of the n-Hexane (nH), ethyl acetate (E) and methanol (M) extract of body wall, intestine tract, gonads, and respiratory tree organs of edible Holothurian sea cucumbers (Holothuria scabra, H. parva, and H. leucospilota), were evaluated by three anti-oxidative systems and bacterial indicators (Bacillus pumulis, Enterococcus faecalis, and Escherichia coli). The highest antioxidant activity was recorded in different systems as DPPH scavenging for E extracts of body wall (EBW) of H. scabra (IC50 = 278.6 μg/ml), and M extracts of intestine tract (MIT) organs of H. parva (45.8 % at 60 µg/ml, IC50 = 369.64 μg/ml), iron-chelating (FRP) for EBW of H. leucospilota (0.66±0.01) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) for EBW of H. parva (0.69±0.05). This study supports, MIT of H. parva has potential antimicrobial activity against B. pumulis (IZ =29 mm). These promising results suggest that Holothurian seacucumbers may be a source of beneficial natural compounds

Ecological monitoring of inter-tidal mudskipper fish of the Bandar Abbas coasts by using the novel epidermal histological index

Aquatic organisms respond to environmental stresses through physiological and morphological adaptations. Accordingly, benthic fish such as the Mudskippers are often referred as bioindicators or sentinel species of aquatic ecosystems such as mangrove forests and mudflats. In the present study, during sampling from three coastal areas of Bandar Abbas (Khorabi, Khajeh Ata and Soro estuary), three species of mudskippers, Periophthalmous waltoni, Boleophthalmus dussumeri and Scartelaos tenuis were identified. Histological studies in mudskippers have focused on the epidermis of the skin by using general staining (hematoxylin-eosin method) and specific staining (periodic acid-Schiff (PAS)-Alcian Blue (AB))‌ approach. The results showed that the thick epidermis is a common feature of the epidermis in all three species of mudskippers and is generally due to layers of the voluminous swollen cells of the skin, development of blood capillary within the epithelium and dermal bulges (except P. waltoni). Mucosal cells were only observed in B. dussumeri and S. tenuis. In P. waltoni, which lived mainly in semi-arid supratidal zone, except for the fins, the whole body is covered with scales, but in the subtidal species of B. dussumeri, the scales are limited to the upper and dorsal, thoracic and caudal stems, and on the skin surface of the intertidal species of S. tenuis, no scales were observed. The results showed species-specific patterns of mudskippers tidal habitat differentiation, based on the epidermal scales as histological ecological indicator

Evaluation of the cytotoxic effects of thyme and savory herbs extracts on Artemiasalina nauplii

In view of the importance of medicinal herbs with a wide range of biological activities in cytotoxic discussion, in this study the cytotoxic effects of crude extracts of plants from the family Lamiaceae have been investigated against larvae of Artemia Salina, by in vitro screening method. This plants as, Zataria multiflora, Thymus daenensis and endemic species as Satureja khuzistanica, Saturejarechingeri. The results showed that the aqueous extract of all these plants have nonoticeable lethal effect on Artemiasalina nauplii except a weak cytotoxic effects of aqueous extract of S. khuzistanica (LC50 =988.6&mu;g/ml). All methanol extracts of this plant showed cytotoxic effects except T. daenensis, but there were no significant difference between them at the 95 percent confidence level (p>0.05). The cytotoxic effect of methanol extract of S. khuzistanica (LC50 =426.7&mu;g/ml) compared with methanol extracts of S. rechingeri and Z. Multiflora was stronger. Despite the lethal effects of these plants on brine shrimp larvae, these effects are evaluated at the intermediate level and further investigation in relation to the cytotoxic effects of them requires a more specific test

Morphometric-meristic characteristics and biometry of Otoliths of tigertooth croaker (Otolithes rubber) from the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea

The Persian Gulf and Oman sea fish have valuable economic species. The purpose of this study was to evaluate morphometric properties and otolith biometry of Tigertooth croaker Otholites rober in Persian Gulf and Oman sea. The otolith of 20 fish was extracted from their abdominal sections after biometry, and the otolith indices were calculated. The results of four morphometric and six meristic measurements were recorded as: body weight (394±12.7), total length (34.25±2.1), standard length (30.25±1.4), body depth (8±2.7), number of vertebrae of the spine (23-24), scales type (catenoid), number of hard rays of dorsal (27-28), anal (8), thoracic (12-14) and abdominal fins (5). The otoliths showed a sharp rostrum, blade post-rostrum, and a certain anti-rostrum. The otolith indices of size (0.035), elongation (1.89) and thickness (0.34) showed the average range and closer in shape to an oval. The linear regression showed positive correlations between the otolith length and width, the otolith length and width with weight of the fish, and between the fish length and the otolith length (p 0.05)

<em>In vitro</em> cytotoxic and apoptotic activities of <em>Allium paradoxum</em> (M. Bieb.) G. Don extract on human breast cancer cell line

247-254Researchers from all pharmaceutical fields are trying to find new drugs from natural origin with less toxicity. In northern Hyrcanian forests Iran, Allium paradoxum (M. Bieb.) G. Don has traditionally used as food and vegetable. Previously studies reports, this plant has a medicinal potential for anti-oxidant and anti-hemolytic activities. In this regard, we evaluated the anti-tumor activity of hydroalcoholic extract of A. paradoxum (M. Bieb.) G. Don in different concentrations on human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7). MTT assay was performed with MCF-7 cancer cell line and also evaluation of apoptotic effect, Bax and Bcl-2 expression in MCF7 cells were analyzed by real time RT-PCR. The results showed that the A. paradoxum (M. Bieb.) G. Don extracts decrease the viability of MCF-7 cell line in a dose-dependent manner and the most effective concentration of this extracts after 24 h treatment was 100 μM. Apoptosis induction was confirmed by fluorescence microscopy and plant extracts display a pro-apoptotic effect by down-regulated and up-regulated the expression of Bcl-2 and BAX in tumor cells, respectively. In conclusion, the study was confirmed pro-apoptotic and cytotoxicity effect of A. paradoxum (M. Bieb.) G. Don extract against MCF-7 cell lines. Based on being natural, low cost, accessibility, and noteworthy advantages of this product, it seems that A. paradoxum (M. Bieb.) G. Don has a potential source for isolation of novel anticancer agents for a drug