Antiprotozoal, antimycobacterial and cytotoxic potential of twenty-three British and Irish red algae.
As part of our continuing research on seaweeds, we have screened the crude extracts of 23 red marine algae collected from England and Ireland. The clinically important blood-stage life forms of Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, T. cruzi, Leishmania donovani and Mycobacterium tuberculosis were used as test organisms in the in vitro assays. The selectivity of the extracts was determined by using mammalian skeletal myoblast (L6) cells. All algal extracts showed activity against T. brucei rhodesiense, with Corallina officinalis and Ceramium virgatum being the most potent (IC(50) values 4.8 and 5.4 microg/ml), whilst none of the algal extracts inhibited the growth of T. cruzi. Except for Porphyra leucosticta, extracts from all seaweeds also showed leishmanicidal activity with IC(50) values ranging from 16.5 to 85.6 microg/ml. Only the crude extract of Calliblepharis jubata showed some weak activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MIC value 256 microg/ml), while the others were inactive at this concentration. Corallina officinalis was the only seaweed that displayed some marginal cytotoxicity (IC(50) value 88.6 microg/ml), and all remaining extracts were non-toxic towards L6 cells at 90 microg/ml concentration. To our knowledge, this is the first study reporting antiprotozoal and antimycobacterial activity of British and Irish red algae.
Allmendinger
Andrea
A
Department of Pharmaceutical and Biological Chemistry, Centre for Pharmacognosy and Phytotherapy, School of Pharmacy, University of London, London WC1N 1AX, UK.
Spavieri
Jasmine
J
Kaiser
Marcel
M
Casey
Rosalyn
R
Hingley-Wilson
Suzie
S
Lalvani
Ajit
A
Guiry
Michael
M
Blunden
Gerald
G
Tasdemir
Deniz
D
D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002460:Cell Line; D004739:England; D020128:Inhibitory Concentration 50; D007494:Ireland; D007893:Leishmania donovani / Q000187:drug effects; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000187:drug effects; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D000461:Rhodophyta / Q000737:chemistry*; D014345:Trypanosoma / Q000187:drug effects
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts