Abstract

ANTICANCER EFFECT OF NEMATOCYSTS VENOM FROM JELLYFISH ACROMITUS FLAGELLATUS, ON HUMAN BREAST CANCER CELL LINE

Maduraiveeran Hemavathi, Chinnasamy Arulvasu?, Annadurai Arulmani, SamsonKumar Shiva Shakthi and Sivasamy Sivaranjani

Abstract

Background: Marine organisms comprise approximately half of the total biodiversity which serves as a vast source of discovered therapeutics and new anticancer drugs. Objective: The present investigation is made to evaluate the efficiency of the crude venom of jellyfish Acromitus flagellates, a cnidarian for its antiproliferative activity. Methodology: The nematocysts were isolated from marginal filament and oral arms of jellyfish. The crude venom of nematocyst was tested against anticancer potential on human breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231) with 200 μg IC50. Results: The protein content of the crude venom was estimated to be 1.5 mg/ml. The protein profile of crude venom protein was determined by SDS-PAGE and the molecular weight was found to be in the range of 205 kDa to 29 kDa. The isolated crude venom was tested for its antiproliferative activity against human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 by MTT assay. The results revealed that the crude venom showed antiproliferative activity at an IC50 concentration of 200 μg/ml. Propidium iodide staining and DNA fragmentation analysis expressed the induction of apoptosis in the cancer cells. Cell cycle analysis and changes of the mitochondrial membrane potential shows the cell cycle arrest at G1 phase which confirmed the potential anticancer activity of jellyfish venom against human breast cancer cell MDA-MB 231. Conclusions: A. flagellatus venom may have the potential to serve as a template for future anticancer drug development. Further analysis is warranted and necessary to substantiate our findings.

Keywords: Acromitus flagellates, Nematocyst, Venom, MTT assay, DNA fragmentation