Antiplasmodial activity of extracts of 25 cyanobacterial species from coastal regions of Tamil Nadu. (October 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Veerabadhran, Maruthanayagam; Manivel, Nagarajan; Mohanakrishnan, Dinesh; Sahal, Dinkar; Muthuraman, Sundararaman
• Is Part Of: Pharmaceutical biology. Volume 52:Number 10(2014:Oct.)
• Page Start: 1291
• Page End: 1301
• Publication Date: 2014-10
• Subjects: Pharmacognosy -- Periodicals; Materia medica, Vegetable -- Periodicals; 615.321
• DOI: 10.3109/13880209.2014.890231
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1388-0209

Abstract

<abstract> <title>Abstract</title> <p> <italic>Context</italic>: Marine cyanobacteria offer considerable potential to isolate new antimalarials to meet a pressing need of our times.</p> <p> <italic>Objective</italic>: To explore the antiplasmodial properties of marine cyanobacteria.</p> <p> <italic>Materials and methods</italic>: Cyanobacterial samples collected from the coastal regions of Tamil Nadu were identified using light microscopy, and the strains were cultivated in ASN-III medium. Organic extracts (0–100 µg mL<sup>−1</sup>) of 25 <italic>in vitro</italic> mass-cultivated cyanobacteria, prepared using methanol: chloroform mixture (1:1 v/v) were evaluated for their antiplasmodial activity against chloroquine-sensitive and -resistant strains of <italic>Plasmodium falciparum</italic> by fluorescence-based SYBR Green I assay where chloroquine was used as a control. To detect the toxic effects of cyanobacterial extracts against red blood cells, the invasion, maturation, and growth rate of malarial parasites in cyanobacterial extracts pre-treated versus untreated erythrocytes were quantified microscopically. Mammalian cell line (HeLa) was used to determine cyanobacterial extract toxicity using the MTT assay.</p> <p> <italic>Results</italic>: The extracts of <italic>Lyngbya aestuarii</italic> Liebm. ex Gomont CNP 1005 (C12) <italic>Oscillatoria boryana</italic> BDU 91451 (C22) and <italic>Oscillatoria boryana</italic> Bory ex Gomont BDU 141071 (C18) showed promising antiplasmodial activity (IC<sub>50</sub> = 18, 18, and 51 μg mL<sup>−1</sup> respectively) against <italic>Pf</italic>3D7. Pretreatment of red blood cells with IC<sub>100</sub> of C12, C18, and C22 (40, 100, and 40 µgmL<sup>−1</sup>, respectively) did not significantly influence the invasion, maturation, and growth rate of malarial parasites in comparison with untreated RBC controls suggesting a lack of toxicity to host cells. MTT assay based IC<sub>50</sub> (>200 μg mL<sup>−1</sup>) of these extracts against HeLa cell line also indicates their high selectivity against the malaria parasite.</p> <p> <italic>Discussion and conclusion</italic>: These exploratory studies suggest the possibilities of development of new antimalarial compounds from marine cyanobacteria.</p> </abstract>