Cytotoxic and HIV-1 enzyme inhibitory activities of Red Sea marine organisms

Abstract

BackgroundCancer and HIV/AIDS are two of the greatest public health and humanitarian challenges facing the world today. Infection with HIV not only weakens the immune system leading to AIDS and increasing the risk of opportunistic infections, but also increases the risk of several types of cancer. The enormous biodiversity of marine habitats is mirrored by the molecular diversity of secondary metabolites found in marine animals, plants and microbes which is why this work was designed to assess the anti-HIV and cytotoxic activities of some marine organisms of the Red Sea.MethodsThe lipophilic fractions of methanolic extracts of thirteen marine organisms collected from the Red Sea (Egypt) were screened for cytotoxicity against two human cancer cell lines; leukaemia (U937) and cervical cancer (HeLa) cells. African green monkey kidney cells (Vero) were used as normal non-malignant control cells. The extracts were also tested for their inhibitory activity against HIV-1 enzymes, reverse transcriptase (RT) and protease (PR).ResultsCytotoxicity results showed strong activity of the Cnidarian Litophyton arboreum against U-937 (IC50; 6.5 μg/ml ±2.3) with a selectivity index (SI) of 6.45, while the Cnidarian Sarcophyton trochliophorum showed strong activity against HeLa cells (IC50; 5.2 μg/ml ±1.2) with an SI of 2.09. Other species showed moderate to weak cytotoxicity against both cell lines. Two extracts showed potent inhibitory activity against HIV-1 protease; these were the Cnidarian jelly fish Cassiopia andromeda (IC50; 0.84 μg/ml ±0.05) and the red algae Galaxura filamentosa (2.6 μg/ml ±1.29). It is interesting to note that the most active extracts against HIV-1 PR, C. andromeda and G. filamentosa showed no cytotoxicity in the three cell lines at the highest concentration tested (100 μg/ml).ConclusionThe strong cytotoxicity of the soft corals L. arboreum and S. trochliophorum as well as the anti-PR activity of the jelly fish C. andromeda and the red algae G. filamentosa suggests the medicinal potential of crude extracts of these marine organisms.

Essential Oil Composition, Antioxidant, Cytotoxic and Antiviral Activities of Teucrium pseudochamaepitys Growing Spontaneously in Tunisia

“…The concentration that reduced 50% of CPE with respect to the virus control was estimated from the plots of the data and was defined as 50% inhibitory concentration (IC 50 ). The selectivity index (SI) was calculated as the CC 50 /IC 50 ratio [25].…”

Ten-Year Research Update Review: Antiviral Activities from Marine Organisms

“…In addition, organic extracts of Lobophyton microlobulatum and Sarcophyton auritum showed anti-CHIKV activity [221], as well as Sinularia kavarattiensis, whose activity was probably due to a synergic effect of various norcembranoids and sesquiterpenoids (isolated in the biological active enriched chloroform extract) with various levels of inhibition on the CHIKV virus replicon in BHK21 cell line [169]. Finally, Cassiopia andromeda lipophilic fraction showed a potent inhibitory activity against HIV-1 protease [222]. In the same investigation, a moderate inhibition of HIV-1 protease was shown by the lipophilic fractions of the soft corals Sinularia heterospiculata, Lithophyllum arboreum, and Sinularia maxima.…”

Cnidarian toxins: recent evidences for potential therapeutic uses

“…It successfully worked on Ehrlich ascites carcinoma tumor model possessing significant antitumor and antioxidant activity (Balamurugan et al 2010). Litophyton arboretum, a soft coral, has been tested on the cervical cancer cell lines and leukemia cancer cell lines resulting in strong anticancer activity with high safety margins (Ellithey et al 2014).…”