title: Cytotoxic, antioxidant and phytochemical analysis of Gracilaria species from Persian Gulf.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Marine algae, also called seaweeds, are abundantly present in the coastal area of Iran, especially in Persian Gulf. These plants contain important phytochemical constituents and have potential biological activities. The present study investigated the presence of phytochemical constituents and total phenolic quantification of the seaweeds Gracilaria salicornia and Gracilaria corticata. Cytotoxicity of seaweeds was tested against HT-29, HeLa, and MCF-7 cell lines. Antioxidant potential of these two Gracilaria species was also analyzed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Extracts of G. salicornia and G. corticata were subjected to phytochemical and cytotoxicity tests. Phytochemical screenings were employed to identify the chemical constituents and total phenolic content. Cytotoxicity was characterized by IC50 of human cancer cell lines (MCF-7, HeLa, and HT-29) using sulforhodamine assay. Antioxidant activities were evaluated using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The analysis revealed that tannins were the most abundant compounds in G. corticata while sterols and triterpenes were the most abundant ones in G. salicornia, but the total phenolic content of the two seaweeds was similar. Cytotoxic results showed that both species could inhibit cell growth effectively, especially against HT-29 cell line.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Considerable phytochemicals, high antioxidant potential, and moderate cytotoxic activity of G. salicornia and G. corticata make them appropriate candidates for further studies and identification of their bioactive principles.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Isfahan Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Alireza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghannadi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran.
authors.forename: Leila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shabani
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Isfahan Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Afsaneh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yegdaneh
keywords: Antioxidant; Gracilaria corticata; Gracilaria salicornia; Persian Gulf; cytotoxic; phytochemical; seaweed