Anticancer Activity and GC-MS Profiling of Bioactive Constituents in the Methanolic Extracts of Spatoglossum variabile and Gracilaria corticata

Abstract

Marine algae stand out as repositories of bioactive metabolites, widely harnessed in treating diverse diseases. Given the often-challenging side effects associated with conventional cancer treatments, researchers are increasingly turning their attention to marine algae as a promising source for discovering novel and potent anticancer compounds. In this study, we meticulously explored the potential anticancer activity of Spatoglossum variabile and Gracilaria corticata sourced from the Indian Ocean. Marine algae are rich in bioactive metabolites that are extensively used to treat various diseases. Researchers have considered marine algae for novel and promising anticancer compounds due to the adverse effects of standard cancer treatments The secondary metabolites were extracted using methanol solvent according to the standard protocol. The extract was subjected to GC-MS analysis and evaluated for its short- and long-term cytotoxicity and anti-proliferative ability in the HCT116 cell line using MTT, clonogenic, and trypan blue dye exclusion assays, respectively. The methanolic extract of Spatoglossum variabile contained 21 unique anticancer compounds, except for the other bioactive compounds. The results indicate that increasing the concentration of algal extracts decreased the cell viability significantly, with an IC50 of 51.49 μg/mL and 37.50 μg /mL in the HCT116 cell line. The results showed a significant reduction in colorectal cancer colony formation and a gradual reduction in cell proliferation. These results underscore the potential for targeted, low-toxicity biomedicines due to their selective cytotoxicity against cancer cells. The extract was subjected to GC-MS analysis and evaluated for its short- and long-term cytotoxicity and anti-proliferative ability in HCT116 cell line using MTT, clonogenic, and trypan blue dye exclusion assays, respectively. Our findings show that Spatoglosuum variabile & Gracilaria corticata extracts contain various bioactive compounds, display long-term and short-term cytotoxicity and antiproliferative effects, which indicates that their constituent compounds might be further refined into effective anti-colorectal cancer medications. The methanolic extract of Spatoglossum variabile contained 21 unique anti-cancer compounds, in addition to other bioactive compounds. The results indicate that increasing the concentration of algal extracts decreased the cell viability significantly, with an IC50 of 51.49 µg/mL and 37.50 µg /ml in the HCT116 cell line. The results showed a significant reduction in colony formation and a gradual reduction in cell proliferation