Introduction: Marine seaweeds has received increased attention in the protection or treatment of cancer, because of their bioactive compounds. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the anticancer capacity of two green seaweeds, Ulva fasciata and Ulva lactuca. Methods: The phenolic and flavonoid content of the hydro-methanolic extracts was measured, respectively by Folin-Ciocateu and aluminum chloride methods. The antioxidant activity of the extracts was evaluated by FRAP and DPPH assay and were compared to ascorbic acid. Cytotoxic effect of the extracts on the MCF-7 (ER + ) and MDA-MB-231 (ER -) breast cancer cell lines was also evaluated by MTT assay after 48 and 72 hours of incubation. Results:The phenolic and flavonoid content of Ulva fasciata was respectively 14.92±1.38 µgGAE/mg and 72.15±15.4 µgQE/mg which was significantly higher than Ulva lactuca. The reducing power and radical scavenging activity of Ulva fasciata was also higher. The cytotoxic effects of Ulva fasciata on the MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines was more than Ulva lactuca, in concentration and time dependent manner. The cytotoxic effects of the both seaweeds were more potent on the MDA-MB-231 compared to the MCF-7 cell line and indicated an estrogen and progesterone receptor independent manner of cellular growth inhibition. Conclusion: It is appeared that the Ulva fasciata extract was a better drug candidate in treatment of triple negative breast cancer due to higher antioxidant activity, phenolic and flavonoid content. Further studies in fractionation and bioactive extraction of Ulva fasciata are recommended.

Inflammation-induced by the interaction of the Vibrio cholerae with the epithelial cells is considered as a main cause of bacteria spreading through the gastrointestinal tract and its consequences. Because of the immunomodulatory and antibacterial properties of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AD-MSCs), this study aimed to investigate the effect of AD-MSCs on the interaction of the bacterial-epithelial cell. Caco-2 differentiated to intestinal epithelial cells co-cultured with AD-MSCs in a 1:1 ratio of the surface area of six-well plates, for 48 hours. After exposure to Vibrio cholerae, bacterial attachment and internalization were evaluated. Secretions of interleukin (IL-6), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), and nitric oxide (NO) were also measured using ELISA, and Griess assay, respectively. In addition, the expression of chloratoxin (Ctx-β) and inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-8 were evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The rate of apoptosis was also evaluated by Annexin V-PI flow cytometry. Bacterial attachment and Ctx-β expression were significantly reduced in the co-culture group compared to the Vibrio cholerae-exposed Caco-2. IL-6 and PGE2 secretion increased in the co-culture group. NO, was also slightly reduced in exposure to Vibrio cholerae. An elevated level of bacterial internalization was observed in the co-culture group compared to the Caco-2 cells leading to an increase in the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. The rate of apoptosis was also increased significantly. Cell-to-cell contact of AD-MSCs and Caco-2 promoted inflammatory responses and disruption of the epithelium barrier by enhancing bacterial invasion. This may be due to the high expression of surface matrix metalloproteinases on MSCs.

Background The induction of oxidative stress is one of the most important cancer etiologies. Plant essential oils contain many effective antioxidant compounds in improving oxidative stress. In the present study, the pharmacological potential of Trachyspermum ammi essential oil (TAEO) and Ferula assafoetida essential oil (FAEO) was compared in oxidative stress improvement and cytotoxic effect. TAEO and FAEO were prepared by Clevenger apparatus, and the medicinal compounds in the essential oils were evaluated by GC–MS assay. The TAEO and FAEO were also evaluated as to their phenolic and flavonoid content, monovalent reducing power, and total radical scavenging activity, respectively, by Folin–Ciocalteu, aluminum chloride, FRAP, and DPPH methods. The cytotoxic effect of the TAEO and FAEO was evaluated by MTT assay on MCF-7 (ER+) and MDA-MB-468 (ER−) breast cancer cell lines. Results The GC–MS analysis indicated that thymol and (E)-Sec-Butyl propenyl disulfide, respectively, were the highest components of TAEO and FAEO. The phenolic content (P < 0.0001), flavonoid content (P < 0.0001), reducing power (P < 0.0001), radical scavenging activity (P < 0.0001), and cytotoxic effect (P < 0.05) of TAEO were significantly higher than FAEO. The IC50 value of the cytotoxic effect of TAEO on MCF-7 and MDA-MB-468 after 72 h of incubation was, respectively, 192.5 ± 42.57 and 331.4 ± 7.24 ppm. Conclusion The cytotoxic effect of TAEO was more potent on the MCF-7 cell line, probably in an estrogen-dependent manner of cellular growth inhibition. It appears that TAEO has a high capacity for improving oxidative stress and inhibiting cell proliferation in breast cancer.

Background & Objective: Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death among women around the world. Attempts to find alternative therapies continue due to therapeutic resistance, side effects, and the high cost of conventional treatments. Materials & Methods: Hydro-methanolic extract of Ulva lactuca and Hypnea musiformis marine algae was prepared by maceration method. The phenolic content of these extracts was compared using the standard Folin-Ciocateu method and the antioxidant capacity was evaluated by the FRAP method. The cytotoxic effects of algae were compared using MTT assay and morphological changes were evaluated by an inverted microscope. Results: The phenolic content of Hypnea musiformis extract (12.46 ± 1.19 µg GAE/mg, P<0.0001), and its antioxidant activity (203.03 ± 27.87 µmol Fe2+/g, P= 0.007), was significantly higher than that of the alga Ulva lactuca. The cytotoxic effects of Hypnea musiformis extract were concentration and time dependent and had severe morphological changes on the cells. Algae extract of Hypnea musiformis (1000 µg/ml) inhibited 84.79 ± 4.66 of % cell proliferation after 72 hours of treatment. The IC50 value of cytotoxic effect of Hypnea musiformis and Ulva lactuca on MDA-MB-468 was respectively 701.2 and >1000 µg/ml after 72h incubation. Conclusions: Hypnea musiformis had higher cytotoxic effects than Ulva lactuca on MDA-MB-468 cells, probably due to its higher phenolic content and antioxidant capacity. Therefore, it appears that a Hypnea musiformis alga is a better option to continue research on drug discovery of anticancer compounds.

No abstract