Dipteran Carboxymethyl Chitosan as an Inexhaustible Derivative with a Potential Antiproliferative Activity in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells.

Rana M Abdel Rahman,Ahmed S Sultan,Hedayat Abdel Ghaffar,Raffaele Capasso,Mahmoud I Khalil,Afrah F Alkhuriji,Attalla F El-Kott,Noha Amaly

doi:10.1155/2020/4396305

Abstract

Traditional folk therapies indicate that insects have diverse medicinal potentials. However, the therapeutic application of insect chitosan and its derivatives has not been explored. To investigate the application of chitosan and its derivatives, the carboxymethyl derivative of chitosan (CM-Ch) was extracted from two dipteran larvae species, Chrysomya albiceps and Sarcophaga aegyptiaca. The degree of deacetylation (DD) and CM-Ch functional groups were validated using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analysis and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR), respectively. The molecular weight was estimated using MALDI-TOF MS analysis. The effect of CM-Ch on the morphology and proliferation of human liver HepG2 cancer cells was assessed. IC50 of CM-Ch induced significant growth-inhibitory effects in HepG2 cells. CM-Ch treatment altered the morphology of HepG2 in a dose-dependent manner and induced apoptosis in a caspase-dependent manner. CM-Ch treatment showed no signs of toxicity, and no alterations in liver and kidney biochemical markers were observed in albino rats. A CM-Ch derivative from commercial crustacean chitosan was used to assess the efficacy of the insect-derived CM-Ch. The data presented here introduce insect CM-Ch as a promising, inexhaustible, safe derivative of chitosan with antitumor potential in liver cancer. This is the first report highlighting the anticancer activity of insect CM-Ch in hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

Highlights

Primary liver cancer is a major public health problem that causes around half a million deaths per year worldwide
Characterization of Chitosan and Carboxymethyl Chitosan (CM-Ch). e Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectra of chitosan extracted from C. albiceps and S. aegyptiaca are shown in Figures 1(a) and 1(b), respectively
From the absorbance ratio A1655/A3450, the degree of deacetylation (DD) of chitosan extracted from C. albiceps and S. aegyptiaca was 84% and 90%, respectively. e viscosity average-molecular weights of chitosan extracted from C. albiceps and S. aegyptiaca larvae were 2.44 and 2.6 KDa, respectively

Summary

Introduction

Primary liver cancer is a major public health problem that causes around half a million deaths per year worldwide. The incidence of primary liver cancer is increasing. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer malignancy [1] and is one of the most predominant cancer types in Egypt [2]. Natural products and their derivatives have been recognized as essential therapeutic sources [3]. Historical and traditional folk therapies have revealed that insects present diverse biological activities and medicinal potentials. Very few insects have been screened for therapeutically relevant molecules [4]

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Results

Conclusion