Anticancer potential of bioactive 16-methylheptadecanoic acid methyl ester derived from marine Trichoderma

Targeting apoptosis in MCF-7 and Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells by saponifiable fractions from green and black Vitis vinifera seed oil

Grape seed (GS) oil is one of the potential functional foods. For the first time, we evaluated the therapeutic effects of GS oil saponifiable (Sap)-fraction from black (BSap) and green (GSap) grapes on MCF-7 cells and Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) in mice. The fatty acid composition of BSap and GSap was determined using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. Approximately twelve distinct fatty acids were detected in BSap and eleven in GSap. BSap showed a greater cytotoxic effect on MCF-7 cells than GSap did by inducing apoptosis and reducing inflammation, while both grape fractions had superior potency to 5-FU. Furthermore, BSap massively boosted apoptosis and lowered redox potential (E_h) and CD44⁺ cells in EAC cells of EAC-bearing mice more than GSap, and both fractions were more efficient than 5-FU. Blood tests and liver histopathology revealed significant improvement in EAC-induced pathological alterations with these fractions. The in silico analysis implied the competitive inhibitory impacts of the most abundant fatty acid composites in BSap and GSap on cancer-metastasis-associated proteases (cathepsin B and MMP9). Also, this analysis predicted that the apoptotic action of these Sap fractions is independent of the 5'AMP-activated protein kinase. Therefore, grape Sap-fraction, especially BSap, may be a useful agent for cancer prevention.

Isolation, Characterization, Antioxidant, and Wound Healing Activities of Extracellular Polysaccharide from Endophytic Fungus Talaromyces purpureogenus

In this study, two extracellular polysaccharides (TEPS1 and TEPS2) were isolated from the endophytic fungus (Talaromyces purpureogenus) and purified by DEAE-Sepharose Fast Flow column using NaCl as gradient eluent. The HPLC analysis displayed that TEPS1 was composed of mannose (38.70%), ribose (25.02%), glucose (19.34%), and galactose (16.94%) while the TEPS2 composed by mannose (100%). The NMR results indicated that TEPS1 exhibited α-glycosidic configurations. The both polysaccharides, TEPS1 and TEPS2 were exhibited a good antioxidant activity in terms of DPPH, ABTS, and •OH scavenging. However, TEPS1 showed a higher antioxidant activity than TEPS2. The IC₅₀ of TEPS1 were 32.16, 192.57, and 54.67 μg·mL^-1, for DPPH, ABTS, and •OH radical scavenging, respectively. Furthermore, TEPS1 showed the high cellular antioxidant and wound healing activity in the human embryonic kidney (HEK293) cell line. Overall, these two polysaccharides were promising in antioxidant activity.

Biocontrol potential of mycogenic copper oxide nanoparticles against Alternaria brassicae

The biological synthesis of nanoparticles using fungal cultures is a promising and novel tool in nano-biotechnology. The potential culture of Trichoderma asperellum (T. asperellum) has been used to synthesize copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) in the current study. The necrotrophic infection in Brassica species is caused due to a foliar pathogen Alternaria brassicae (A. brassicae). Mycogenic copper oxide nanoparticles (M-CuO NPs) were characterized by spectroscopic and microscopic techniques such as UV–visible spectrophotometry (UV–vis), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The antifungal potential of CuO NPs was studied against A. brassicae. M-CuO NPs exhibited a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) at 303 nm, and XRD confirmed the crystalline phase of NPs. FTIR spectra confirmed the stretching of amide bonds, and the carbonyl bond indicated the presence of enzymes in T. asperellum filtrate. SEM and TEM confirmed the spherical shape of M-CuO NPs with an average size of 22 nm. Significant antifungal potential of M-CuO NPs was recorded, as it inhibited the growth of A. brassicae up to 92.9% and 80.3% in supplemented media with C-CuO NPs at 200 ppm dose. Mancozeb and propiconazole inhibited the radial growth up to 38.7% and 44.2%. SEM confirmed the morphological changes in hyphae and affected the sporulation pattern. TEM revealed hardly recognizable organelles, abnormal cytoplasmic distribution, and increased vacuolization, and light microscopy confirmed the conidia with reduced diameter and fewer septa after treatment with both types of NPs. Thus, M-CuO NPs served as a promising alternative to fungicides.

Phytochemical Profiling, In Vitro Biological Activities, and In-Silico Studies of Ficus vasta Forssk.: An Unexplored Plant

Ficus vasta Forssk. (Moraceae family) is an important medicinal plant that has not been previously investigated for its phytochemical and biological potential. Phytochemical screening, total bioactive content, and GCMS analysis were used to determine its phytoconstituents profile. Antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-viral, cytotoxicity, thrombolytic, and enzyme inhibition activities were examined for biological evaluation. The plant extract exhibited the maximum total phenolic (89.47 ± 3.21 mg GAE/g) and total flavonoid contents (129.2 ± 4.14 mg QE/g), which may be related to the higher antioxidant potential of the extract. The extract showed strong α-amylase (IC₅₀ 5 ± 0.21 µg/mL) and α-glucosidase inhibition activity (IC₅₀ 5 ± 0.32 µg/mL). Significant results were observed in the case of antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-viral activities. The F. vasta extract inhibited the growth of HepG2 cells in a dose-dependent manner. The GCMS analysis of the extract provided the preliminary identification of 28 phytocompounds. In addition, the compounds identified by GCMS were subjected to in silico molecular docking analysis in order to identify any interactions between the compounds and enzymes (α-amylase and α-glucosidase). After that, the best-docked compounds were subjected to ADMET studies which provide information on pharmacokinetics, drug-likeness, physicochemical properties, and toxicity. The present study highlighted that the ethanol extract of F. vasta has antidiabetic, antimicrobial, anti-viral, and anti-cancer potentials that can be further explored for novel drug development.

Purinoceptor Targeted Cytotoxicity of Adenosine Triphosphate-Conjugated Biogenic Selenium Nanoparticles in Human Colon Cancer Cells

The adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-conjugated biogenic selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) for P2 (purinoceptors) receptor-targeted anti-colon cancer activity were developed in this study. First, the SeNPs were synthesized using Trichoderma extracts (TE) and then conjugated with ATP to enhance their anticancer activity. The developed SeNPs had an oval crystalline structure with an average diameter size of 26.45 ± 1.71 d. nm, while the ATP-SeNPs were 78.6 ± 2.91 d. nm. The SeNPs contain Se, and less persistence of P while the ATP-SeNPs have high level of P, and Se in the energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Further, both nanoparticles exhibited larger sizes in the dynamic light scattering (DLS) analysis than in the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis. The DLS and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) results provide evidence that the amine group (-NH2) of ATP might bind with the negatively charged SeNPs through covalent bonding. The IC50 concentration was 17.25 ± 1.16 µg/mL for ATP-SeNPs and 61.24 ± 2.08 µg/mL against the caco-2 cell line. The IC50 results evidenced the higher cytotoxicity of ATP-SeNPs in the caco-2 cell line than in HEK293 cells. ATP-SeNPs trigger the anticancer activity in the caco-2 cell line through the induction of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) loss and nucleus damage. The biocompatibility test of hemolysis and the egg CAM assay confirmed the non-toxicity of these nanoparticles. Overall, the results proved that the newly developed ATP-SeNPs exhibited higher cytotoxicity in the caco-2 cell line than SeNPs. However, further molecular and in vivo experiments are required to develop the ATP-SeNPs as a candidate drug for cancer-targeted therapeutics.

Chemical composition, antioxidant, and anti-diabetic activities of ethyl acetate fraction of Stachys riederi var. japonica (Miq.) in streptozotocin-induced type 2 diabetic mice

This work analysed the chemical composition, antioxidant, and enzyme inhibitory activities of solvent extract (SJ-ME) and fractions (SJ-HF, SJ-EAF, and SJ-MF) of the Stachys riederi var. japonica (Miq.) (SJ). Furthermore, the effect of SJ-EAF in STZ induced type 2 diabetic mice was examined. Among the samples, SJ-EAF exhibited a lower IC50 concentration of 64.2 ± 0.48 μg/mL for DPPH and 82.6 ± 0.09 μg/mL for ABTS+. The SJ-EAF concentration of 2.89 ± 0.03 μg and 2.27 ± 0.98 μg was equivalent to 1 μg of acarbose mediated enzyme inhibitory effect against α-amylase and α -glucosidase, respectively. The SJ-EAF did not show cytotoxicity (<80%) to NIH3T3 nor HepG2 cells but enhanced the glucose uptake in the IR-HepG2. LC-MS/MS of SJ-EAF showed the presence of a total of 16 compounds. Among the identified compounds, rosmarinic acid, caffeic acid, oleanolic acid, and ursolic acid showed high catalytic activity of α-amylase and α-glucosidase. The treatments of SJ-EAF restored the level of blood glucose, body weight, insulin, HDL and mRNA level of IRS1, GLUT2, GLUT4 and Akt whereas it reduced the excess elevation of total cholesterol, total triglycerides, LDL, AST, ALT, ALP, BUN, and creatinine in STZ induced diabetic mice. Overall, the present study concluded that the SJ-EAF exhibited promising antidiabetic activity.

Isolation of Polysaccharides from Trichoderma harzianum with Antioxidant, Anticancer, and Enzyme Inhibition Properties

In this work, a total of six polysaccharides were isolated from culture filtrate (EPS1, EPS2) and mycelia (IPS1-IPS4) of Trichoderma harzianum. The HPLC analysis results showed that EPS1, EPS2, IPS1, and IPS2 were composed of mannose, ribose, glucose, galactose, and arabinose. The FT-IR, 1H, and 13C NMR chemical shifts confirmed that the signals in EPS1 mainly consist of (1→4)-linked α-d-glucopyranose. EPS1 and IPS1 showed a smooth and clean surface, while EPS2, IPS2, and IPS3 exhibited a microporous structure. Among polysaccharides, EPS1 displayed higher ABTS+ (47.09 ± 2.25% and DPPH (26.44 ± 0.12%) scavenging activities, as well as higher α-amylase (69.30 ± 1.28%) and α-glucosidase (68.22 ± 0.64%) inhibition activity than the other polysaccharides. EPS1 exhibited high cytotoxicity to MDA-MB293 cells, with an IC50 of 0.437 mg/mL, and this was also confirmed by cell staining and FACS assays. These results report the physicochemical and bioactive properties of polysaccharides from T. harzianum.

Synthesis, characterization, and cytotoxicity of starch-encapsulated biogenic silver nanoparticle and its improved anti-bacterial activity

The present work reported synthesis, characterization, and biocompatibility of starch encapsulated silver nanoparticles (St-PF-AgNPs) and their antibacterial activity. The synthesis of St-PF-AgNPs involved in two steps: (i) synthesis of the biogenic silver nanoparticles using the fungal extracts (PF-AgNPs); and, (ii) encapsulation of starch in PF-AgNPs (St-PF-AgNPs). The surface plasmon resonance was found at 420 nm for the PF-AgNPs while it was at 260 and 420 nm for the St-PF-AgNPs. FTIR spectrum demonstrated the capping and encapsulation of the fungal extracts and starch in PF-AgNPs and St-PF-AgNPs. The XRD and TEM-EDS confirmed the crystalline nature, spherical-shaped , and polydispersed- PF-AgNPs and St-PF-AgNPs with strong signals of Ag. The St-PF-AgNPs showed a Z-average size of 115.2 d.nm and zeta potential of -17.8 (mV) as indicated by DLS and zeta potentials. The cytotoxicity results demonstrated higher toxicity of PF-AgNPs than St-PF-AgNPs in HEK293 cells. The antibacterial activity of St-PF-AgNPs were higher than PF-AgNPs in S. aureus. Overall, this work concluded that the starch encapsulation significantly increased the antibacterial activity of PF-AgNPs and this opens a new avenue for the treatment of bacterial infections through the sustained release of PF-AgNPs to target pathogenic bacterial cells.

Metabolite Profiling of Methanolic Extract of Gardenia jaminoides by LC-MS/MS and GC-MS and Its Anti-Diabetic, and Anti-Oxidant Activities

In this study, the methanolic extract from seeds of Gardenia jasminoides exhibited strong antioxidant and enzyme inhibition activities with less toxicity to NIH3T3 and HepG2 cells at the concentration of 100 µg/mL. The antioxidant activities (DPPH and ABTS), α-amylase, and α-glucosidase inhibition activities were found higher in methanolic extract (MeOH-E) than H₂O extract. Besides, 9.82 ± 0.62 µg and 6.42 ± 0.26 µg of MeOH-E were equivalent to 1 µg ascorbic acid for ABTS and DPPH scavenging, respectively while 9.02 ± 0.25 µg and 6.52 ± 0.15 µg of MeOH-E were equivalent to 1 µg of acarbose for inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase respectively. Moreover, the cell assay revealed that the addition of MeOH-E (12.5 µg/mL) increased about 37% of glucose uptake in insulin resistant (IR) HepG2 as compared to untreated IR HepG2 cells. The LC- MS/MS and GC-MS analysis of MeOH-E revealed a total of 54 compounds including terpenoids, glycosides, fatty acid, phenolic acid derivatives. Among the identified compounds, chlorogenic acid and jasminoside A were found promising for anti-diabetic activity revealed by molecular docking study and these molecules are deserving further purification and molecular analysis.

Simple and cleaner system of silver nanoparticle synthesis using kenaf seed and revealing its anticancer and antimicrobial potential

The clean and eco-friendly synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) has provided promising characteristics with impressive biomedical related potential. Here, we have employed a green process for the synthesis of AgNPs using kenaf seed (KS) extract as a bilateral mediator for reducing and capping of Ag⁺ ions under hydrothermal condition. The synthesis pathways, such as varying amounts of KS, Ag ion concentration and autoclaving time were optimized. The manifestation of a strong absorption peak from 420-430 nm in UV-vis spectroscopy indicated the successful synthesis of KS@AgNPs. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed the presence of hydroxyl and carbonyl functionalities involved in the reduction and stabilization of Ag⁺ ions. Furthermore, transmission electron microscopy revealed that the KS@AgNPs are spherical in shape having a size around 7-11 nm, whereas high-quality crystals were evidenced by x-ray diffraction analysis. Moreover, inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry revealed that 19.6 μg l^-1 of Ag⁺ ions were released from the KS@AgNPs. In cell line studies, KS@AgNPs at a higher dose were shown to be non-toxic to the healthy (NIH3T3) cells, while strong anti-proliferative response was found in the case of lung cancer (A549) cells. Furthermore, a significant zone of inhibition was observed for both Gram-positive and Gram-negative microorganisms, and a combination of KS@AgNPs with ampicillin revealed a notable synergistic anti-pathogenic effect. Overall, our study proved the potentiality of KS as an efficient bio-resource for the synthesis of AgNPs and also its original feature as an anti-cancer and antimicrobial agent.

Enhanced cancer therapy with pH-dependent and aptamer functionalized doxorubicin loaded polymeric (poly D, L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles

Aptamer based drug delivery systems are gaining the importance in anticancer therapy due to their targeted drug delivery efficiency without harming the normal cells. The present work formulated the pH-dependent aptamer functionalized polymer-based drug delivery system against human lung cancer. The prepared aptamer functionalized doxorubicin (DOX) loaded poly (D, L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA), poly (N-vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) nanoparticles (APT-DOX-PLGA-PVP NPs) were spherical in shape with an average size of 87.168 nm. The crystallography and presence of the PLGA (poly (D, L-lactic-co-glycolic acid)) and DOX (doxorubicin) in APT-DOX-PLGA-PVP NPs were indicated by the X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and ¹H and ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer (NMR). The pH-dependent aptamer AS1411 based drug release triggered the cancer cell death was evidenced by cytotoxicity assay, flow cytometry, and fluorescent microscopic imaging. In addition, the cellular uptake of the DOX was determined and the apoptosis-related signaling pathway in the A549 cells was studied by Western blot analysis. Further, the in vivo study revealed that mice treated with APT-DOX-PLGA-PVP NPs were significantly recovered from cancer as evident by mice weight and tumor size followed by the histopathological study. It was reported that the APT-DOX-PLGA-PVP NPs induced the apoptosis through the activation of the apoptosis-related proteins. Hence, the present study revealed that the APT-DOX-PLGA-PVP NPs improved the therapeutic efficiency through the nucleolin receptor endocytosis targeted drug release.

Antioxidant, Anti-Lung Cancer, and Anti-Bacterial Activities of Toxicodendron vernicifluum

This work tested antioxidant, anti-lung cancer, and antibacterial activities by in vitro, in vivo, and computational experiments for the metabolites extracted from the bark, seed, and stem of Toxicodendron vernicifluum. The results showed that all the extracts significantly scavenged 1,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) in a dose-dependent manner. But, the total phenol content (TPC) ranged from 2.12 to 89.25% and total flavonoids content (TFC) ranged from 1.02 to 15.62% in the extracts. The methanolic bark extract (MBE) exhibited higher DPPH scavenging activity than the other extracts, probably due to the higher content of the TPC and TFC present in it. Among the extracts, only the MBE showed anti-lung cancer activity at an acceptable level with a therapeutic index value (22.26) against human lung carcinoma. This was due to the cancer cell death in A549 induced by MBE through reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, apoptosis, and cell arrest in G1 phase and inhibition of anti-pro-apoptotic protein survivin. Among the extracts, MBE showed significantly higher antibacterial activity as evident through the higher zone of inhibition 13 ± 0.5 mm against methycilin resistant strain of Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Salmonila enteria subp. enterica, and P. aeruginosa, 11 ± 0.3 mm against E. coli and 10 ± 0.2 mm against B. cereus. The MBE also showed an excellent antibacterial activity with lower minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC). Particularly, the MBE showed more significant antibacterial activity in MRSA. The in vivo antibacterial activity of the MBE was further tested in C. elegans model. The treatment of the MRSA induced cell disruption, damage and increased mortality of C. elegans as compared to the untreated and MBE treated C. elegans with normal OP50 diet. Moreover, the MBE treatment enhanced the survival of the MRSA infected C. elegans. The compounds, such as 2,3,3-trimethyl-Octane and benzoic from the MBE, metabolized the novel bacterial topoisomerases inhibitor (NBTI) and MRSA related protein (PBP2a). Overall the T. vernicifluum is potentially bioactive as evident by antioxidant, anti-lung cancer, and antibacterial assays. Further studies were targeted on the purification of the novel compounds for the clinical evaluation.

Screening of NO Inhibitor Release Activity from Soft Coral Extracts Origin Palu Bay, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia

BACKGROUND

As a marine organism, soft corals can be utilized to be various bioactive substances, especially terpenoids and steroids. The soft corals family which produces bioactive generally come from clavulariidae, alcyoniidae, nephtheidae and xeniidae family.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the bioactivity of Nitric Oxide (NO) inhibitor release from soft coral crude extracts of Sinularia sp. (SCA), Nephthea sp. (SCB), Sarcophyton sp. (SCC), Sarcophyton sp. (SCD), Sinularia sp. (SCE) and Sinularia sp. (SCF).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Soft coral is collected from Palu Bay (Central Sulawesi). NO inhibitory release activity measured according to the Griess reaction. Soft corals sample macerated with 1:2 (w/v). Then, Soft coral extracts with the best NO Inhibitor activity partitioned with Dichloromethane, Ethyl acetate, and n-butanol. The bioactive of all crude extracts were identified by GC-MS to find compounds with anti-inflammatory potential.

RESULTS

Sarcophyton sp. (SCC) and Sinularia sp. (SCF) are able to inhibit NO concentrations of 0.22 ± 0.04 and 0.20 ± 0.04 µM at 20 mg/mL, respectively. The chemical constituents determined and showed the potential as anti-inflammatory in the crude of Sinularia sp. (SCA) were Octacosane (3.25%). In Nephthea sp., (SCB) were Cyclohexene, 6-ethenyl-6- methyl-1-(1-methylethyl)-3-(1-methylethylidene)-,(S)- (0.55%); Azulene, 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8- octahydro-1,4-dimethyl-7-(1-methylethylidene)-, (1S-cis)- (0.53%); and 1,7,7-Trimethyl- 2-vinylbicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-ene (4.72%). In Sarcophyton sp, (SCC) were Eicosane (0.12%); Nonacosane (10.7%); 14(β)-Pregnane (0.87%); Octacosane 6.39%); and Tricosane (1.53%). In Sarcophyton sp. (SCD) were 14(β)-Pregnane (2.69%); and Octadecane (27.43%). In crude of Sinularia sp. (SCE) were Oleic Acid (0.63%); 7,10-Hexadecadienoic acid, methyl ester (0.54%); 14(β)-Pregnane (1.07%); 5,8,11,14-Eicosatetraenoic acid, ethyl ester, (all-Z)- (4.60%); Octacosane (7.75%); and 1,2-Benzisothiazole, 3-(hexahydro-1Hazepin- 1-yl)-, 1,1-dioxide (1.23%). In the crude of Sinularia sp., (SCF) were Oxirane, decyl- (1.38%); Nonacosane (0.57%); Cyclohexanol, 5-methyl-2-(1-methylethenyl)- (0.61%); 14B-Pregnane (0.76%); and Tetratriacontane (1.02%).

CONCLUSION

The extract of Sarcophyton sp. (SCC) and Sinularia sp. (SCF) showed the best NO inhibitory release activity. This study is making soft corals from Central Sulawesi, Indonesia can become a potential organism in the discovery and development of bioactive substances anti-inflammatory.

Medicinal Purposes: Bioactive Metabolites from Marine-derived Organisms

The environment of marine occupies about 95% biosphere of the world and it can be a critical source of bioactive compounds for humans to be explored. Special environment such as high salt, high pressure, low temperature, low nutrition and no light, etc. has made the production of bioactive substances different from terrestrial organisms. Natural ingredients secreted by marine-derived bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes, Cyanobacteria and other organisms have been separated as active pharmacophore. A number of evidences have demonstrated that bioactive ingredients isolated from marine organisms can be other means to discover novel medicines, since enormous natural compounds from marine environment were specified to be anticancer, antibacterial, antifungal, antitumor, cytotoxic, cytostatic, anti-inflammatory, antiviral agents, etc. Although considerable progress is being made within the field of chemical synthesis and engineering biosynthesis of bioactive compounds, marine environment still remains the richest and the most diverse sources for new drugs. This paper reviewed the natural compounds discovered recently from metabolites of marine organisms, which possess distinct chemical structures that may form the basis for the synthesis of new drugs to combat resistant pathogens of human life. With developing sciences and technologies, marine-derived bioactive compounds are still being found, showing the hope of solving the problems of human survival and sustainable development of resources and environment.

In vitro, In silico and In vivo Antitumor Activity of Crude Methanolic Extract of Tetilla dactyloidea (Carter, 1869) on DEN Induced HCC in a Rat Model

Tetilla dactyloidea (Carter, 1869) is a marine sponge classified under Demospongia and recent studies have demonstrated that active constituents of Demospongia class have exhibited several potential medical applications. However, no preliminary pharmacological studies have been reported so far. The present investigation was carried out to evaluate the zoo-chemical status, antioxidant potential and anticancer activity of Crude Methanolic Extract of Tetilla dactyloidea (CMETD). Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) was induced in the liver of male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats by treating with diethylnitrosamine (DEN). Nodule incidence, body weight, liver marker enzymes, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant, phase I metabolizing and liver macromolecular damaging enzymes and immuno-histopathological changes were assessed in DEN and DEN+CMETD treated rats. Oral administration of CMETD at a dose of 400mg/kg body weight to DEN treated rats restored the above parameters to near normal levels compared to control. The biochemical results were consistent with histopathological observations suggesting marked hepatoprotective effect of CMETD in a dose dependent manner. The GCMS of CMETD analysis showed the presence of six compounds. In in silico analysis 9-Octadecenoic acid (Z)-, 2-hydroxy-1-(hydroxymethyl) ethyl ester ligand showed an effective binding energy of -7.1kcal/mol against Cox-2 receptor. The compounds showed desirable pharmacokinetic properties and significant molecular interactions with the HCC receptors. To conclude, our results clearly suggested that CMETD treatment prevented liver damage, protected the antioxidant defense system and possessed anti-carcinogenic potential in DEN induced hepatic carcinoma.

In vitro cytotoxicity and antimicrobial activity of Talaromyces flavus SP5 inhabited in the marine sediment of Southern Coast of India

Marine sediment samples were collected from the coastal areas of Southern India, particularly in Kanyakumari District. Twenty-eight different fungal strains were isolated. The screening of fungi from marine sediment was done to isolate a potent fungus that can produce bioactive compounds for biomedical applications. Only three strains viz Trichoderma gamsii SP4, Talaromyces flavus SP5 and Aspergillus oryzae SP6 were screened for further studies. The intracellular bioactive compounds were extracted using solvent extraction method. The crude extracts were tested for its anti-microbial and anti-cancer properties and analytically characterized using Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). All the three extracts were active, but the extract from T. flavus SP5 was found to be more active against various human pathogens, viz., Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 (17.8 ± 0.1), Escherichia coli ATCC 52922 (18.3 ± 0.3), and Candida tropicalis ATCC 750 (17.7 ± 0.4). It also exhibited cytotoxic activity against HEp2 carcinoma cell line with the LC₅₀ value of 25.7 μg·L^-1. The GC-MS data revealed the presence of effective bioactive compounds. These results revealed that the extract from isolated fungus T. flavus SP5 acted as a potent antimicrobial, antifungal, and anticancer agent, providing basic information on the potency of marine fungi towards biomedical applications; further investigation may lead to the development of novel anticancer drugs.