Antiprotozoal, antimycobacterial and cytotoxic potential of some british green algae

Abstract

In the continuation of our search for natural sources for antiprotozoal and antitubercular molecules, we have screened the crude extracts of four green marine algae (Cladophora rupestris, Codium fragile ssp. tomentosoides, Ulva intestinalis and Ulva lactuca) collected from the Dorset area of England. Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, Trypanosoma cruzi, Leishmania donovani and Mycobacterium tuberculosis were used as test organisms in the in vitro assays. The selective toxicity of the extracts was also determined toward mammalian skeletal myoblast (L6) cells. The crude seaweed extracts had no activity against M. tuberculosis, but showed antiprotozoal activity against at least two protozoan species. All algal extracts were active against T. brucei rhodesiense, with C. rupestris being the most potent one (IC(50) value 3.7 microg/ml), whilst only C. rupestris and U. lactuca had moderate trypanocidal activity against T. cruzi (IC(50) values 80.8 and 34.9 microg/ml). Again, all four extracts showed leishmanicidal activity with IC(50) values ranging between 12.0 and 20.2 microg/ml. None of the extracts showed cytotoxicity toward L6 cells, indicating that their antiprotozoal activity is specific. This is the first study reporting antiprotozoal and antimycobacterial activity of British marine algae.

Bioactivity of seagrass against the dengue fever mosquito Aedes aegypti larvae

“…Marine organisms are a rich source of structurally novel and biologically active metabolites. Many chemically unique compounds of marine origin with different biologically activity have been isolated and a number of them are under investigation and /or are being developed as new pharmaceuticals [6][7][8][9][10][11][12] . Seagrass are marine flowering plants that successfully grow in tidal marine environment.…”

“…Seagrasses consist of about 60 species marine flowering plants, which form the most widespread and productive coastal systems in the world [13] . A variety of medicines and chemicals are prepared from seagrass and their associates [9,14] . Several species of seagrass produce antimicrobial compounds that may act to reduce or control …”

Pharmacological Potential of Ulva Species: A Valuable Resource

“…In fact, U. lactuca displayed the most potent activity against axenic amastigotes of Leshmania donovani with IC 50 =5.9ml/ml and efficiently inhibited the FabI enzyme. The antiprotozoal activity of four green marine algae collected from british coasts, among which two Ulva species (U. intestinalis and U. lactuca) have been prospected [34]. All crude extracts showed positive antiprotozoal activity against Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense while a moderate trypanocidal activity against Trypanosoma cruzi rupestris have been obtained for U. lactuta extract.…”

Anti-tubercular substances produced by plants

“…tomentosoides, Ulva intestinalis and Ulva lactuca. Researchers in the UK did not identify any anti-tubercular properties [32].…”