Abstract
BackgroundSpirulina platensis, an edible cyanobacterium, is considered as a valuable and natural resource of novel anticancer agents. This study aimed to investigate the anticancer potential of major bioactive metabolites from Spirulina platensis on hepatocellular carcinoma cells. The total phenolic and alkaloid content of S. platensis were determined using spectrophotometric procedures and thin-layer chromatography. Cellular viability of HepG2 cancer cells and normal fibroblasts was evaluated using MTT assay after 24 h treatment with 0.02–2 mg/ml of alkaloids, phenolic compounds, aqueous, and methanol extracts from Spirulina platensis.ResultsTotal phenolic and total alkaloid compounds were 150.5 ± 1.18 mg gallic acid equivalents/mg extract and 11.4 ± 0.05 mg atropine equivalents/mg extract, respectively. All tested extracts and compounds demonstrated the inhibitory effect on the viability of HepG2 cells in a dose-dependent manner without cytotoxicity on normal cells. The most potent anticancer activity was induced by alkaloids (2 ± 0.001 mg/ml) with 80% reduction in cell viability and an IC50 of 0.53 ± 0.08 mg/ml. IC50 values of the aqueous extract, the methanolic extract, and phenolic compounds were 1.7 ± 0.14, 1.28 ± 0.22, and 0.86 ± 0.14 mg/ml, respectively.ConclusionsThis is the first report to demonstrate anticancer effects of alkaloids and phenolic compounds of Spirulina platensis in relation to liver cancer.
Highlights
Spirulina platensis, an edible cyanobacterium, is considered as a valuable and natural resource of novel anticancer agents
Total phenol and alkaloid content The content of total phenolic compounds in S. platensis extract using the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent was estimated as milligram of gallic acid equivalents per gram of dry weight of S. platensis
The amount of total phenolic compounds extracted from S. platensis was found 150.5 ± 1.18 mg GA/g DW
Summary
An edible cyanobacterium, is considered as a valuable and natural resource of novel anticancer agents. Cellular viability of HepG2 cancer cells and normal fibroblasts was evaluated using MTT assay after 24 h treatment with 0.02–2 mg/ml of alkaloids, phenolic compounds, aqueous, and methanol extracts from Spirulina platensis. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) that is considered as the most frequent type of liver cancer is the sixth most common neoplasm in the world, and its incidence continues to rise annually [1]. It is a type of tumor with a poor prognosis and highly resistant to chemotherapeutic agents. An inhibitor kinase for systemic chemotherapy, is the only approved treatment that increases survival in patients with advanced stage HCC. Sorafenib is very expensive and has some significant side effects including hemorrhagic
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