Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Antioxidant and Anticancer Activities of Selected Persian Gulf Algae

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Indian Journal of Clinical Biochemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In the present study, the effect of red (Gracillaria corticata), green (Ulva fasciata) and brown (Sargassum ilicifolium) seaweeds alcoholic extract, against five important human cancer cell lines (MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, HeLa, HepG2, and HT-29) proliferation, apoptosis and cell cycle arrest were evaluated. The reducing activity and total polyphenol content were also investigated. MTT assay was used for cytotoxicity test. Morphological alterations were examined using phase contrast, fluorescent and electron microscopy. All the extracts were antiproliferative against all the cancer cell lines, dose-dependently, with G. corticata methanol extract (GCME) having the greatest inhibition activity against MCF-7 cell line. The percentage of apoptosis increased from 18 to 78 %. The cell cycle analysis also showed that GCME can induce apoptosis which confirm by TEM. Algal extract reducing activities were as follows: G. corticata > S. ilicifolium > U. fasciata. The GCME is a good source of potential complementary and alternative functional food for prevention and treatment of cancer.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Mohamed S, Hashim SN, Rahman HA. Seaweeds: a sustainable functional food for complementary and alternative therapy. Trends Food Sci Technol. 2012;23(2):83–96.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Schumacher M, Kelkel M, Dicato M, Diederich M. Gold from the sea: marine compounds as inhibitors of the hallmarks of cancer. Biotechnol Adv. 2011;29(5):531–47.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Namvar F, Mohamed S, Fard S. Polyphenol-rich seaweed (Eucheuma cottonii) extract suppresses breast tumour via hormone modulation and apoptosis induction. Food Chem. 2012;130(2):376–82.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Noda H, Amano H, Arashima K, Nisizawa K. Antitumor activity of marine algae. Hydrobiologia. 1990;204–205(1):577–84.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Liu L, Heinrich M, Myers S, Dworjanyn SA. Towards a better understanding of medicinal uses of the brown seaweed sargassum in traditional Chinese medicine: a phytochemical and pharmacological review. J Ethnopharmacol. 2012;142(3):591–619.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Funahashi H, Imai T, Mase T, Sekiya M, Yokoi K, Hayashi H, et al. Seaweed prevents breast cancer? Jpn J Cancer Res. 2011;92(5):483–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Deslandes E, Pondaven P, Auperin T, Roussakis CC, Gu J, Stiger V. Preliminary study of the in vitro antiproliferative effect of a hydroethanolic extract from the subtropical seaweed Turbinaria ornata (Turner J. Agardh) on a human non-small-cell bronchopulmonary carcinoma line (NSCLC-N6). J Appl Phycol. 2000;12(3–5):257–62.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Yuan YV, Walsh NA. Antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of extracts from a variety of edible seaweeds. Food Chem Toxic. 2006;44(7):1144–50.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Fernández LE, Valiente OG, Mainardi V, Bello JL, Vélez H, Rosado A. Isolation and characterization of an antitumor active agar-type polysaccharide of Gracilaria dominguensis. Carbohydr Res. 1989;190:77–83.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Mayer AMS, Gustafson KR. Marine pharmacology in 2003–2004: anti-tumour and cytotoxic compounds. Eur J Cancer. 1990;42(14):2241–70.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Mabeau S, Fleurence J. Seaweed in food products : biochemical and nutritional aspects. Trends Food Sci Technol. 1993;4(April):927–9.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Gupta S, Abu-Ghannam N. Recent developments in the application of seaweeds or seaweed extracts as a means for enhancing the safety and quality attributes of foods. Innov Food Sci Emerg Technol. 2011;12(4):600–9.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Souza LARD, Dore CMPG, Castro AJG, Azevedo TCGD, Oliveira MTBD, Moura MDFV, et al. Galactans from the red seaweed Amansia multifida and their effects on inflammation, angiogenesis, coagulation and cell viability. Biomed Prev Nutr. 2012;2(3):154–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Kwon H-J, Bae S-Y, Kim K-H, Han C-H, Cho S-H, Nam S-W, et al. Induction of apoptosis in HeLa cells by ethanolic extract of Corallina pilulifera. Food Chem. 2007;104(1):196–201.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Matanjun P, Mohamed S, Mustapha NM, Muhammad K, Ming CH. Antioxidant activities and phenolics content of eight species of seaweeds from north Borneo. J Appl Phycol. 2008;20(4):367–73.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Benzie IF, Strain JJ. The ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) as a measure of “antioxidant power”: the FRAP assay. Anal Biochem. 1996;239(1):70–6.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Velioglu YS, Mazza G, Gao L, Oomah BD. Antioxidant activity and total phenolics in selected fruits, vegetables, and grain products. J Agric Food Chem. 1998;46(10):4113–7.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Harada H, Noro T, Kamei Y. Selective antitumor activity in vitro from marine algae from Japan coasts. Biol Pharm Bull. 1997;20:541–6.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Chen Y-H, Tu C-J, Wu H-T. Growth-inhibitory effects of the red alga Gelidium amansii on cultured cells. Biol Pharm Bull. 2004;27(2):180–4.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Germain M, Affar EB, Amours DD, Dixit VM, Salvesen GS, Poirier GG. Cleavage of automodified poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase during apoptosis. J Biol Chem. 1999;274(40):28379–84.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Okai Y, Higashi-Okai K, Nakamura S, Yano Y, Otani S. Suppressive effects of the extracts of Japanese edible seaweeds on mutagen-induced umu C gene expression in Salmonella typhimurium (TA 1535/pSK 1002) and tumor promotor-dependent ornithine decarboxylase induction in BALB/c 3T3 fibroblast cells. Cancer Lett. 1994;25(87(1)):25–32.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Mahesh DL, Deosthale YG, Narasinga Rao BS. A sensitive kinetic assay for the determination of iodine in foodstuffs. Food Chem. 1992;43(1):51–6.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Parker SL, Davis KJ, Wingo PA, Ries LA, Heath CW. Cancer statistics by race and ethnicity. CA Cancer J Clin. 1998;48(1):31–48.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Ziegler RG, Hoover RN, Pike MC, Hildesheim A, Nomura AM, West DW, et al. Migration patterns and breast cancer risk in Asian–American women. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1993;85(22):1819–27.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Cann SA, van Netten JP, van Netten C. Hypothesis: iodine, selenium and the development of breast cancer. Cancer Causes Control. 2000;11(2):121–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Lin H, Liu J, Zhang Y. Developments in cancer prevention and treatment using traditional Chinese medicine. Front med. 2011;5(2):127–33.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Funahashi H, Imai T, Tanaka Y, Tsukamura K, Hayakawa Y, Kikumori T, et al. Wakame seaweed suppresses the proliferation of 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)-anthracene-induced mammary tumors in rats. Jpn J Cancer Res. 1999;90(9):922–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the Mashhad Branch, Islamic Azad University of Iran.

Disclosure

No competing financial interests exist.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Medicine, Applied Biology Research Centre, Mashhad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran

    F. Namvar

  2. Institute of Tropical Forestry and Forest Products (INTROP), Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

    F. Namvar

  3. Faculty of Science, Applied Biology Research Centre, Mashhad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran

    J. Baharara

  4. Department of Biochemistry, King George’s Medical University, Lucknow, India

    A. A. Mahdi

Authors
  1. F. Namvar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J. Baharara
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. A. A. Mahdi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to F. Namvar.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Namvar, F., Baharara, J. & Mahdi, A.A. Antioxidant and Anticancer Activities of Selected Persian Gulf Algae. Ind J Clin Biochem 29, 13–20 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12291-013-0313-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12291-013-0313-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation