Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Antiproliferative effect of the Red Sea cone snail, Conus geographus

Najla Ali Alburae¹ , Afrah Eltayeb Mohammed²

¹Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, PO Box 80203, Jeddah 21589; ²Biology Department, College of Science, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, PO Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia.

For correspondence:- Najla Alburae Email: nalbourai@kau.edu.sa Tel:+966033710116

Accepted: 21 February 2020 Published: 31 March 2020

Citation: Alburae NA, Mohammed AE. Antiproliferative effect of the Red Sea cone snail, Conus geographus. Trop J Pharm Res 2020; 19(3):577-571 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v19i3.17

© 2020 The authors.
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Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the antiproliferative effect of the Red Sea cone snail, Conus geographus, against 4 MCF-7 (breast), MDA-MB-231 (epithelial human breast), HepG2 (hepatocellular) and SKOV-3 (ovarian) cancer cell lines.

Methods: Extraction of Red Sea cone snail sample with a mixture of CH₂Cl₂ and CH₃OH (1:1, v/v) yielded 0.55 g of a green viscous material. The cytotoxic effects of the organic extract against the cancer cell lines were determined using cell proliferation (MTT) assay, and the half-maximal concentration (IC₅₀) values measured. The effect of the crude extract on the cell cycle of the HepG-2 was determined by flow cytometry.

Results: The extract produced significant inhibitory effects against SKOV-3, MDA-MB-231, MCF-7 and HepG2, with IC₅₀ values of 22.7 ± 2.2, 68.7 ± 6.2, 47 ± 4.2 and 19 ± 2.1 µg/mL, respectively. Cell cycle analysis revealed that the extract enhanced accumulation of HepG2 cells in the Go/G1 phase, at a level of 23.4 and 24.1 % at IC₅₀ (19 µg/mL) and ½ IC₅₀ (9.5 µg/mL), respectively, when compared to the untreated cells.

Conclusion: These results indicate that C. geographus extract exhibits potent cytotoxic effect against HepG2 cells via a mechanism involving G0/G1 cell cycle arrest. Thus, C. geographus is a potential source of a new anti-cancer agent.

Keywords: Conus geographus, Marine invertebrate, HepG2, Antiproliferation