title: Cytotoxic activity of ten algae from the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea on human breast cancer cell lines; MDA-MB-231, MCF-7, and T-47D.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Seaweeds have proven to be a promising natural source of bioactive metabolites for drug development.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to monitor the ethanol extract of ten algae from the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea, for their in vitro cytotoxic activity on three human breast cancer cell lines.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three human breast cancer cell lines including MDA-MB-231(ER(-)), MCF-7(ER(+)), and T-47D (ER(+)) were treated by different concentrations of total ethanol (90%) algae extracts and the cytotoxic effects were evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Doxorubicin (Ebewe, Austria) was used as a positive control. After 72 h of incubation, the cytotoxic effect of the algae was calculated and presented as 50%-inhibitory concentration (IC50).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results indicated Gracilaria foliifera and Cladophoropsis sp. to be the most active algae in terms of cytotoxic effects on the investigated cancer cell lines. The IC50 values against MDA-MB-231, MCF-7, and T-47D cells were, respectively, 74.89 ± 21.71, 207.81 ± 12.07, and 203.25 ± 30.98 µg/ml for G. foliifera and 66.48 ± 4.96, 150.86 ± 51.56 and >400 µg/ml for Cladophoropsis sp. The rest of the algal extracts were observed not to have significant cytotoxic effects in the concentration range from 6.25 µg/ml to 400 µg/ml.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data conclusively suggest that G. foliifera and Cladophoropsis sp. may be good candidates for further fractionation to obtain novel anticancer substances. Moreover, stronger cytotoxic effects on estrogen negative breast cancer cell line (MDA-MB-231(ER(-))) in comparison to estrogen positive cells (MCF-7 and T-47D) suggest that the extract of G. foliifera and Cladophoropsis sp. may have an estrogen receptor/progesterone receptor-independent mechanism for their cellular growth inhibition.
authors.affiliation: Shiraz Institute for Cancer Research, School of Medicine, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Nasrollah
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Erfani
authors.affiliation: Medicinal Plants Processing Research Center, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Nazemosadat
authors.affiliation: Medicinal Plants Processing Research Center, Shiraz, Iran ; Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahmoodreza
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moein
keywords: 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay; Algae; Oman Sea; Persian Gulf; cytotoxicity
references.citation: Biochem Pharmacol. 2003 May 1;65(9):1451-61
references.pmid: 12732357
references.citation: Res Pharm Sci. 2013 Apr;8(2):113-8
references.pmid: 24019820
references.citation: Curr Opin Mol Ther. 2004 Dec;6(6):657-65
references.pmid: 15663330
references.citation: J Agric Food Chem. 2005 Mar 9;53(5):1776-81
references.pmid: 15740073
references.citation: Phytother Res. 2010 Nov;24(11):1724-9
references.pmid: 20564461
references.citation: Eur J Cancer. 2008 Nov;44(16):2357-87
references.pmid: 18701274
references.citation: Z Naturforsch C. 2003 Jan-Feb;58(1-2):33-8
references.pmid: 12622222
references.citation: Cytotechnology. 2000 Jul;33(1-3):221-7
references.pmid: 19002829
references.citation: Annu Rev Med. 2002;53:615-27
references.pmid: 11818492
references.citation: Nutr Rev. 2007 Dec;65(12 Pt 1):535-43
references.pmid: 18236692
references.citation: Br J Cancer. 2005 Oct 31;93(9):1046-52
references.pmid: 16175185
references.citation: Mar Drugs. 2014 Jan 14;12(1):255-78
references.pmid: 24424355
references.citation: Cytotechnology. 1997 Nov;25(1-3):213-9
references.pmid: 22358894
references.citation: Eur J Cancer. 2006 Sep;42(14):2241-70
references.pmid: 16901686
references.citation: Mol Biotechnol. 2010 Nov;46(3):308-16
references.pmid: 20717753
references.citation: Int J Biol Macromol. 2013 Sep;60:366-74
references.pmid: 23817097
references.citation: Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Xue Bao. 2012 Apr;10(4):430-5
references.pmid: 22500717
references.citation: Mar Drugs. 2014 Jan 28;12(2):851-70
references.pmid: 24477286
references.citation: Biol Res. 2010;43(1):31-7
references.pmid: 21157630
references.citation: Biomed J. 2012 Nov-Dec;35(6):464-72
references.pmid: 23442359
references.citation: Bioorg Med Chem. 1998 Dec;6(12):2237-43
references.pmid: 9925286
references.citation: J Ethnopharmacol. 2005 Aug 22;100(1-2):72-9
references.pmid: 16009521
references.citation: J Nat Prod. 2006 Oct;69(10):1488-91
references.pmid: 17067168
references.citation: Indian J Clin Biochem. 2014 Jan;29(1):13-20
references.pmid: 24478544
references.citation: Biol Pharm Bull. 1997 May;20(5):541-6
references.pmid: 9178936
references.citation: Clin Cancer Res. 2007 Aug 1;13(15 Pt 1):4429-34
references.pmid: 17671126
references.citation: Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2010 Aug;14(8):669-73
references.pmid: 20707286
references.citation: Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2011 Jun;15(6):597-600
references.pmid: 21796865