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Abruscato G, Chiarelli R, Lazzara V, Punginelli D, Sugár S, Mauro M, Librizzi M, Di Stefano V, Arizza V, Vizzini A, Vazzana M, Luparello C. In Vitro Cytotoxic Effect of Aqueous Extracts from Leaves and Rhizomes of the Seagrass Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile on HepG2 Liver Cancer Cells: Focus on Autophagy and Apoptosis. Biology (Basel) 2023; 12:biology12040616. [PMID: 37106816 PMCID: PMC10135731 DOI: 10.3390/biology12040616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
Aqueous extracts from Posidonia oceanica's green and brown (beached) leaves and rhizomes were prepared, submitted to phenolic compound and proteomic analysis, and examined for their potential cytotoxic effect on HepG2 liver cancer cells in culture. The chosen endpoints related to survival and death were cell viability and locomotory behavior, cell-cycle analysis, apoptosis and autophagy, mitochondrial membrane polarization, and cell redox state. Here, we show that 24 h exposure to both green-leaf- and rhizome-derived extracts decreased tumor cell number in a dose-response manner, with a mean half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) estimated at 83 and 11.5 μg of dry extract/mL, respectively. Exposure to the IC50 of the extracts appeared to inhibit cell motility and long-term cell replicating capacity, with a more pronounced effect exerted by the rhizome-derived preparation. The underlying death-promoting mechanisms identified involved the down-regulation of autophagy, the onset of apoptosis, the decrease in the generation of reactive oxygen species, and the dissipation of mitochondrial transmembrane potential, although, at the molecular level, the two extracts appeared to elicit partially differentiating effects, conceivably due to their diverse composition. In conclusion, P. oceanica extracts merit further investigation to develop novel promising prevention and/or treatment agents, as well as beneficial supplements for the formulation of functional foods and food-packaging material with antioxidant and anticancer properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Abruscato
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF), Università di Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Roberto Chiarelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF), Università di Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Valentina Lazzara
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF), Università di Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Diletta Punginelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF), Università di Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Simon Sugár
- MS Proteomics Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Manuela Mauro
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF), Università di Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Mariangela Librizzi
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF), Università di Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Vita Di Stefano
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF), Università di Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Arizza
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF), Università di Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Aiti Vizzini
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF), Università di Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Mirella Vazzana
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF), Università di Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Claudio Luparello
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF), Università di Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy
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Punginelli D, Catania V, Abruscato G, Luparello C, Vazzana M, Mauro M, Cunsolo V, Saletti R, Di Francesco A, Arizza V, Schillaci D. New Bioactive Peptides from the Mediterranean Seagrass Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile and Their Impact on Antimicrobial Activity and Apoptosis of Human Cancer Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:5650. [PMID: 36982723 PMCID: PMC10056643 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The demand for new molecules to counter bacterial resistance to antibiotics and tumor cell resistance is increasingly pressing. The Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica is considered a promising source of new bioactive molecules. Polypeptide-enriched fractions of rhizomes and green leaves of the seagrass were tested against Gram-positive (e.g., Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis) and Gram-negative bacteria (e.g., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli), as well as towards the yeast Candida albicans. The aforementioned extracts showed indicative MIC values, ranging from 1.61 μg/mL to 7.5 μg/mL, against the selected pathogens. Peptide fractions were further analyzed through a high-resolution mass spectrometry and database search, which identified nine novel peptides. Some discovered peptides and their derivatives were chemically synthesized and tested in vitro. The assays identified two synthetic peptides, derived from green leaves and rhizomes of P. oceanica, which revealed interesting antibiofilm activity towards S. aureus, E. coli, and P. aeruginosa (BIC50 equal to 17.7 μg/mL and 70.7 μg/mL). In addition, the natural and derivative peptides were also tested for potential cytotoxic and apoptosis-promoting effects on HepG2 cells, derived from human hepatocellular carcinomas. One natural and two synthetic peptides were proven to be effective against the "in vitro" liver cancer cell model. These novel peptides could be considered a good chemical platform for developing potential therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diletta Punginelli
- Section of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, 90123 Palermo, Italy
| | - Valentina Catania
- Department of Earth and Sea Science (DiSTeM), University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze Blg. 16, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Giulia Abruscato
- Section of Cell Biology, Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze Blg. 16, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Claudio Luparello
- Section of Cell Biology, Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze Blg. 16, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Mirella Vazzana
- Section of Animal Biology and Anthropology, Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 18, 90123 Palermo, Italy
| | - Manuela Mauro
- Section of Animal Biology and Anthropology, Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 18, 90123 Palermo, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Cunsolo
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Rosaria Saletti
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Antonella Di Francesco
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Arizza
- Section of Animal Biology and Anthropology, Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 18, 90123 Palermo, Italy
| | - Domenico Schillaci
- Section of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, 90123 Palermo, Italy
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Punginelli D, Catania V, Vazzana M, Mauro M, Spinello A, Barone G, Barberi G, Fiorica C, Vitale M, Cunsolo V, Saletti R, Di Francesco A, Arizza V, Schillaci D. A Novel Peptide with Antifungal Activity from Red Swamp Crayfish Procambarus clarkii. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:antibiotics11121792. [PMID: 36551449 PMCID: PMC9774249 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11121792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The defense system of freshwater crayfish Procambarus clarkii as a diversified source of bioactive molecules with antimicrobial properties was studied. Antimicrobial activity of two polypeptide-enriched extracts obtained from hemocytes and hemolymph of P. clarkii were assessed against Gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis) and Gram negative (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli) bacteria and toward the yeast Candida albicans. The two peptide fractions showed interesting MIC values (ranging from 11 to 700 μg/mL) against all tested pathogens. Polypeptide-enriched extracts were further investigated using a high-resolution mass spectrometry and database search and 14 novel peptides were identified. Some peptides and their derivatives were chemically synthesized and tested in vitro against the bacterial and yeast pathogens. The analysis identified a synthetic derivative peptide, which showed an interesting antifungal (MIC and MFC equal to 31.2 μg/mL and 62.5 μg/mL, respectively) and antibiofilm (BIC50 equal to 23.2 μg/mL) activities against Candida albicans and a low toxicity in human cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diletta Punginelli
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, 90123 Palermo, Italy
| | - Valentina Catania
- Department of Earth and Sea Science (DISTEM), University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze Blg. 16, 90128 Palermo, Italy
- Correspondence:
| | - Mirella Vazzana
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, 90123 Palermo, Italy
| | - Manuela Mauro
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, 90123 Palermo, Italy
| | - Angelo Spinello
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, 90123 Palermo, Italy
| | - Giampaolo Barone
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, 90123 Palermo, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Barberi
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, 90123 Palermo, Italy
| | - Calogero Fiorica
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, 90123 Palermo, Italy
| | - Maria Vitale
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia “A. Mirri”, Via Marinuzzi, 3, 90129 Palermo, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Cunsolo
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Rosaria Saletti
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Antonella Di Francesco
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Arizza
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, 90123 Palermo, Italy
| | - Domenico Schillaci
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, 90123 Palermo, Italy
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Punginelli D, Schillaci D, Mauro M, Deidun A, Barone G, Arizza V, Vazzana M. The potential of antimicrobial peptides isolated from freshwater crayfish species in new drug development: A review. Dev Comp Immunol 2022; 126:104258. [PMID: 34530039 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2021.104258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Revised: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The much-publicised increased resistance of pathogenic bacteria to conventional antibiotics has focused research effort on the characterization of new antimicrobial drugs. In this context, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) extracted from animals are considered a promising alternative to conventional antibiotics. In recent years, freshwater crayfish species have emerged as an important source of bioactive compounds. In fact, these invertebrates rely on an innate immune system based on cellular responses and on the production of important effectors in the haemolymph, such as AMPs, which are produced and stored in granules in haemocytes and released after stimulation. These effectors are active against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. In this review, we summarise the recent progress on AMPs isolated from the several species of freshwater crayfish and their prospects for future pharmaceutical applications to combat infectious agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diletta Punginelli
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi, 18, 90123, Palermo, Italy
| | - Domenico Schillaci
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi, 18, 90123, Palermo, Italy
| | - Manuela Mauro
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi, 18, 90123, Palermo, Italy
| | - Alan Deidun
- Department of Geosciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malta, Msida MSD, 2080, Malta
| | - Giampaolo Barone
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi, 18, 90123, Palermo, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Arizza
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi, 18, 90123, Palermo, Italy
| | - Mirella Vazzana
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi, 18, 90123, Palermo, Italy.
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Mauro M, Lazzara V, Punginelli D, Arizza V, Vazzana M. Antitumoral compounds from vertebrate sister group: A review of Mediterranean ascidians. Dev Comp Immunol 2020; 108:103669. [PMID: 32192994 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2020.103669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2019] [Revised: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Among the diseases that afflict the human population, cancer is one for which many drug treatments are not yet known or effective. Moreover, the pharmacological treatments used often create serious side effects in sick patients and for this reason, it is essential to find effective and less harmful treatments. To date, marine biodiversity is a real source of metabolites with antitumoral activity and among invertebrates' ascidians have been the main source to obtain them. Mediterranean area is the richest in biodiversity and contains several ascidian species used in drugs development during the years. However, many more Mediterranean ascidian species have not been studied and could be a source of useful bioactive compounds. This review aims to summarize the scientific studies that analyzed the antitumor compounds obtained from different Mediterranean ascidians species, encouraging them to search further compounds in other new species to improve pharmacological treatments and human population life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Mauro
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi, 18-90123 Palermo, Italy.
| | - Valentina Lazzara
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi, 18-90123 Palermo, Italy
| | - Diletta Punginelli
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi, 18-90123 Palermo, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Arizza
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi, 18-90123 Palermo, Italy
| | - Mirella Vazzana
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi, 18-90123 Palermo, Italy
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