Abstract
Bioactivity-guided isolation supported by LC-HRESIMS metabolic profiling led to the isolation of two new compounds, a ceramide, stylissamide A (1), and a cerebroside, stylissoside A (2), from the methanol extract of the Red Sea sponge Stylissa carteri. Structure elucidation was achieved using spectroscopic techniques, including 1D and 2D NMR and HRMS. The bioactive extract’s metabolomic profiling showed the existence of various secondary metabolites, mainly oleanane-type saponins, phenolic diterpenes, and lupane triterpenes. The in vitro cytotoxic activity of the isolated compounds was tested against two human cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and HepG2. Both compounds, 1 and 2, displayed strong cytotoxicity against the MCF-7 cell line, with IC50 values at 21.1 ± 0.17 µM and 27.5 ± 0.18 µM, respectively. They likewise showed a promising activity against HepG2 with IC50 at 36.8 ± 0.16 µM for 1 and IC50 30.5 ± 0.23 µM for 2 compared to the standard drug cisplatin. Molecular docking experiments showed that 1 and 2 displayed high affinity to the SET protein and to inhibitor 2 of protein phosphatase 2A (I2PP2A), which could be a possible mechanism for their cytotoxic activity. This paper spreads light on the role of these metabolites in holding fouling organisms away from the outer surface of the sponge, and the potential use of these defensive molecules in the production of novel anticancer agents.
Highlights
Marine environments have proven to be an important source of unique chemical entities with a wide range of biological activities [1,2,3,4,5,6]
The potential cytotoxicity of compounds 1 and 2 isolated from Stylissa carteri was measured by the sulphorhodamine B (SRB) assay adopting the method of Skehan et al [37] following the protocol described by Vichai and Kirtikara [38] on breast (MCF-7) and liver (HepG2) cancer cell lines
The cytotoxicity of compounds 1 and 2 was measured by the sulphorhodamine B (SRB) assay as described by Skehan [37], following the protocol described by Vichai and Kirtikara [38] on breast (MCF-7) and liver (HepG2) cancer cell lines
Summary
Marine environments have proven to be an important source of unique chemical entities with a wide range of biological activities [1,2,3,4,5,6]. Marine sponges are soft-bodied, sessile organisms which belong to the Porifera phylum. Marine sponges are an extremely rich source of secondary metabolites possessing various biological activities. Investigation of Red Sea marine sponges permitted detection of a wide range of secondary metabolites, including terpenes, alkaloids, sterols, steroidal glycosides, and ceramides [8,9,10]. Ceramides are bioactive lipids, which have been found in many marine invertebrate organisms These compounds are involved in a number of physiological functions including apoptosis, arrest of cell growth, and cell-senescence [11]. A bioactivity-guided fractionation was performed assisted by LC-HRESIMS investigation of the Red. Sea sponge Stylissa carteri methanolic extract, which led to the isolation of two new compounds, stylissamide A (1) and stylissoside A (2). The potential cytotoxic activities of the isolated compounds are reported, in addition to the investigation of a possible mechanism of cytotoxic activity through molecular docking simulation studies
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
