Antiproliferative and antioxidant properties of nematocysts crude venom from jellyfish Acromitus flagellatus against human cancer cell lines

Chemical Compositions and Experimental and Computational Modeling of the Anticancer Effects of Cnidocyte Venoms of Jellyfish Cassiopea andromeda and Catostylus mosaicus on Human Adenocarcinoma A549 Cells

Nowadays, major attention is being paid to curing different types of cancers and is focused on natural resources, including oceans and marine environments. Jellyfish are marine animals with the ability to utilize their venom in order to both feed and defend. Prior studies have displayed the anticancer capabilities of various jellyfish. Hence, we examined the anticancer features of the venom of Cassiopea andromeda and Catostylus mosaicus in an in vitro situation against the human pulmonary adenocarcinoma (A549) cancer cell line. The MTT assay demonstrated that both mentioned venoms have anti-tumoral ability in a dose-dependent manner. Western blot analysis proved that both venoms can increase some pro-apoptotic factors and reduce some anti-apoptotic molecules that lead to the inducing of apoptosis in A549 cells. GC/MS analysis demonstrated some compounds with biological effects, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-cancer activities. Molecular docking and molecular dynamic showed the best position of each biologically active component on the different death receptors, which are involved in the process of apoptosis in A549 cells. Ultimately, this study has proven that both venoms of C. andromeda and C. mosaicus have the capability to suppress A549 cells in an in vitro condition and they might be utilized in order to design and develop brand new anticancer agents in the near future.

Surge in the jellyfish population of a tropical monsoonal estuary: A boon or bane to its plankton community dynamics?

Recurrent jellyfish blooms and their impacts on ecosystem deliverables of coastal habitats have become a major ecological concern. In view of this, repercussions of a surge in the jellyfish population on the plankton community were studied in Cochin estuary (CE), the largest tropical estuary along the southwest coast of India. Evaluation of hydrographic attributes and plankton community of the CE during early and late pre-monsoon revealed a marked disparity in its hydrography which favoured an increase in jellyfish abundances during late pre-monsoon, eliciting distinct impacts on the plankton community. The escalation in the jellyfish abundance and their subsequent predation on the crustacean plankton released the phytoplankton community from the grazing pressure resulting in a trophic cascade in the planktonic food web. The indiscriminate feeding of jellyfishes on the ichthyoplankton, decapod larvae, and Copepoda, the primary diet component of forage fishes evoked a potent threat to the fishery potential of CE.

Recent Progress in Antioxidant Active Substances from Marine Biota

BACKGROUND

The well-recognized but not fully explored antioxidant activity of marine-biota-derived, biologically active substances has led to interest in their study as substitutes of antibiotics, antiaging agents, anticancer and antiviral drugs, and others. The aim of this review is to present the current state of the art of marine-biota-derived antioxidants to give some ideas for potential industrial applications.

METHODS

This review is an update for the last 5 years on the marine sources of natural antioxidants, different classes antioxidant compounds, and current derivation biotechnologies.

RESULTS

New marine sources of antioxidants, including byproducts and wastes, are presented, along with new antioxidant substances and derivation approaches.

CONCLUSIONS

The interest in high-value antioxidants from marine biota continues. Natural substances combining antioxidant and antimicrobial action are of particular interest because of the increasing microbial resistance to antibiotic treatments. New antioxidant substances are discovered, along with those extracted from marine biota collected in other locations. Byproducts and wastes provide a valuable source of antioxidant substances. The application of optimized non-conventional derivation approaches is expected to allow the intensification of the production and improvement in the quality of the derived substances. The ability to obtain safe, high-value products is of key importance for potential industrialization.

Nomad Jellyfish Rhopilema nomadica Venom Induces Apoptotic Cell Death and Cell Cycle Arrest in Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma HepG2 Cells

Jellyfish venom is a rich source of bioactive proteins and peptides with various biological activities including antioxidant, antimicrobial and antitumor effects. However, the anti-proliferative activity of the crude extract of Rhopilema nomadica jellyfish venom has not been examined yet. The present study aimed at the investigation of the in vitro effect of R. nomadica venom on liver cancer cells (HepG2), breast cancer cells (MDA-MB231), human normal fibroblast (HFB4), and human normal lung cells (WI-38) proliferation by using MTT assay. The apoptotic cell death in HepG2 cells was investigated using Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining-based flow cytometry analysis, western blot analysis, and DNA fragmentation assays. R. nomadica venom displayed significant dose-dependent cytotoxicity on HepG2 cells after 48 h of treatment with IC₅₀ value of 50 μg/mL and higher toxicity (3:5-fold change) against MDA-MB231, HFB4, and WI-38 cells. R. nomadica venom showed a prominent increase of apoptosis as revealed by cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase, upregulation of p53, BAX, and caspase-3 proteins, and the down-regulation of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein and DNA fragmentation. These findings suggest that R. nomadica venom induces apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first scientific evidence demonstrating the induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest of R. nomadica jellyfish venom.

Development of Marine-Derived Compounds for Cancer Therapy

Cancer has always been a threat to human health with its high morbidity and mortality rates. Traditional therapy, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, plays a key role in cancer treatment. However, it is not able to prevent tumor recurrence, drug resistance and treatment side effects, which makes it a very attractive challenge to search for new effective and specific anticancer drugs. Nature is a valuable source of multiple pharmaceuticals, and most of the anticancer drugs are natural products or derived from them. Marine-derived compounds, such as nucleotides, proteins, peptides and amides, have also shed light on cancer therapy, and they are receiving a fast-growing interest due to their bioactive properties. Their mechanisms contain anti-angiogenic, anti-proliferative and anti-metastasis activities; cell cycle arrest; and induction of apoptosis. This review provides an overview on the development of marine-derived compounds with anticancer properties, both their applications and mechanisms, and discovered technologies.