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. 2020 Feb 17:2020:2425693.
doi: 10.1155/2020/2425693. eCollection 2020.

The Yemeni Brown Algae Dictyota dichotoma Exhibit High In Vitro Anticancer Activity Independent of Its Antioxidant Capability

Amina El-Shaibany  1 , Molham Al-Habori  2 , Tareq Al-Maqtari  1 , Hassan Al-Mahbashi  3
Affiliations

The Yemeni Brown Algae Dictyota dichotoma Exhibit High In Vitro Anticancer Activity Independent of Its Antioxidant Capability

Amina El-Shaibany et al. Biomed Res Int. .

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the anticancer and antioxidant activities as well as the safety of the brown algae Dictyota dichotoma of the Western seacoast of Yemen. Cytotoxicity of methanol extract of D. dichotoma and several of its fractions, petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, and aqueous extracts against seven different cancer cell lines was determined by crystal violet staining. The antioxidant activity was also assessed using the DPPH radical scavenging assay. Acute toxicity study was performed on rats at increasing doses of the methanol extract. Extracts of D. dichotoma exerted a significant dose-dependent cytotoxicity on the seven tumor cell lines but were generally more selective on MCF-7 and PC-3. Among all fractions, the chloroform fraction of the D. dichotoma displayed the highest cytotoxic activity and was most effective in MCF-7, PC3, and CACO cells (IC50 = 1.93 ± 0.25, 2.2 ± 0.18, and 2.71 ± 0.53 μg/mL, respectively). The petroleum ether fraction was also effective, particularly against MCF-7 and PC-3 (IC50 = 4.77 ± 0.51 and 3.93 ± 0.51 μg/mL, respectively) whereas the activity of the ethyl acetate fraction was more pronounced against HepG2 and CACO (IC50 = 5.06 ± 0.21 and 5.06 ± 0.23 μg/mL, respectively). Of all the extracts tested, the crude methanolic extract of the algae exhibited only a modest antioxidant potential (IC50 = 204.6 ± 8.3 μg/mL). Doses as high as 5000 mg/kg body weight of D. dichotoma methanolic extracts were safe and well tolerated by rats. The overall results showed that D. dichotoma exhibited a significant cytotoxic activity probably due to the occurrence of nonpolar cytotoxic compounds, which is independent of its antioxidant capability.

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Conflict of interest statement

All authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Percentage inhibition of cell growth of D. dichotoma extracts against the MCF-7 cell line. PEA (petroleum ether), CEA (chloroform), EEA (ethyl acetate), BEA (n-butanol), AEA (remaining aqueous mother liquor) fractions, and MEA (methanol).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Percentage inhibition of cell growth of D. dichotoma extracts against the HCT-116 cell line. PEA (petroleum ether), CEA (chloroform), EEA (ethyl acetate), BEA ((n)-butanol), AEA (remaining aqueous mother liquor) fractions, and MEA (methanol).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Percentage inhibition of cell growth of D. dichotoma extracts against the HepG-2 cell line. PEA (petroleum ether), CEA (chloroform), EEA (ethyl acetate), BEA ((n)-butanol), AEA (remaining aqueous mother liquor) fractions, and MEA (methanol).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Percentage inhibition of cell growth of D. dichotoma extracts against the PC-3 cell line. PEA (petroleum ether), CEA (chloroform), EEA (ethyl acetate), BEA ((n)-butanol), AEA (remaining aqueous mother liquor) fractions, and MEA (methanol).
Figure 5
Figure 5
Percentage inhibition of cell growth of D. dichotoma extracts against the A-549 cell line. PEA (petroleum ether), CEA (chloroform), EEA (ethyl acetate), BEA ((n)-butanol), AEA (remaining aqueous mother liquor) fractions, and MEA (methanol).
Figure 6
Figure 6
Percentage inhibition of cell growth of D. dichotoma extracts against the HeLa cell line. PEA (petroleum ether), CEA (chloroform), EEA (ethyl acetate), BEA ((n)-butanol), AEA (remaining aqueous mother liquor) fractions, and MEA (methanol).
Figure 7
Figure 7
Percentage inhibition of cell growth of D. dichotoma extracts against the CACO cell line. PEA (petroleum ether), CEA (chloroform), EEA (ethyl acetate), BEA ((n)-butanol), AEA (remaining aqueous mother liquor) fractions, and MEA (methanol).
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