Assessment of Antioxidant, Antiproliferative and Proapoptotic Potential of Aqueous Extracts of Chroococcus sp. R-10
Source abstract
Abstract
The rising incidence of cancer and the limitations of current therapeutic strategies underscore the urgent need to identify novel bioactive compounds for antitumor drug development. Cyanobacteria are widespread Gram-negative, photoautotrophic prokaryotes that have been recognized as an important source of biologically active secondary metabolites with vast potential for application in the fields of pharmaceutics. The aim of the present study was to analyze the phytochemical composition, antioxidant, and antitumor activities of low-temperature (LT) and high-temperature (HT) aqueous extracts of the cyanobacterium Chroococcus sp. R-10. Extracts were prepared and analyzed for phytochemical composition using UPLC-DAD, and antioxidant activity was tested via multiple assays. Antiproliferative effects were evaluated on human tumor cell lines, and the effects on cell cycle progression studied using flow cytometry. Fluorescence microscopy was employed to examine extract-induced cytomorphological changes in the treated cancer cells. UPLC-DAD analyses showed very similar chromatographic profiles of the extracts and identified glycogen as their main constituent. Both extracts displayed concentration-dependent antioxidant activity, with notable radical scavenging and ferric-reducing capacity. LT extract demonstrated higher phenolic content and antioxidant capacity. Both extracts reduced cell viability, particularly in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast carcinoma cell lines. Flow cytometry and fluorescent microscopy analyses revealed that the suppressed proliferative activity of the cancer cells was associated with a retardation of cell cycle progression and apoptosis induction. This study identifies Chroococcus sp. R-10 as a promising source of phytochemical compounds with pharmaceutical relevance and provides a rationale for further investigations to identify the primary bioactive constituents and elucidate their mechanisms of anticancer action.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Algal biology and biofuel production · Seaweed-derived Bioactive Compounds · Microbial Metabolites in Food Biotechnology
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
Institute of Experimental Morphology, Pathology and Anthropology with Museum, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., 25, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
Institute of Plant Physiology and Genetics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., 21, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
Institute of Neurobiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., 23, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
Institute of Molecular Biology “Acad. R. Tsanev”, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., 21, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
Department of Medical Chemistry and Biochemistry, Medical University of Sofia, Zdrave Str., 2, 1431 Sofia, Bulgaria
Funding
Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science
References (38)
Show source-provided references
1. Ravishankar, G., and Ambati, R.R. (2019). Microalgae and cyanobacteria as a potential source of anticancer compounds. Handbook of Algal Technologies and Phytochemicals, CRC Press. [1st ed.].
2. Anticancer activity of Spirulina platensis methanolic extracts against L20B and MCF7 human cancer cell lines
3. Mondal, A., Bose, S., Banerjee, S., Patra, J.K., Malik, J., Mandal, S.K., and Bishayee, A. (2020). Marine cyanobacteria and microalgae metabolites—A rich source of potential anticancer drugs. Mar. Drugs, 18.10.3390/md18090476 ↗
4. Untargeted metabolomics of the alkaliphilic cyanobacterium Plectonema terebrans elucidated novel stress-responsive metabolic modulations10.1016/j.jprot.2021.104447 ↗
5. Pharmaceuticals from cultured algae
6. Total synthesis of the cyclodepsipeptideapratoxin A and its analogues and assessment of their biological activities10.1002/chem.200600599 ↗
7. New apratoxins of marine cyanobacterial origin from Guam and Palau10.1016/S0968-0896(02)00014-7 ↗
8. Exploring the ocean for new drug developments: Marine pharmacology10.4103/0975-7406.171700 ↗
9. Characterization of apoptosis induced by marine natural products in non-small cell lung cancer A549 cells10.1007/s00018-006-6264-7 ↗
10. Induction of apoptosis by cryptophycin 1, a new antimicrotubule agent10.1002/(SICI)1097-0215(19971104)73:3<440::AID-IJC20>3.0.CO;2-F ↗
11. Cryptophycins: Cytotoxic cyclodepsipeptides with potential for tumor targeting10.1002/psc.3015 ↗
12. The novel antimicrotubule agent cryptophycin 52 (LY355703) induces apoptosis via multiple pathways in human prostate cancer cells
13. Kang, H.K., Choi, M.C., Seo, C.H., and Park, Y. (2018). Therapeutic properties and biological benefits of marine-derived anticancer peptides. Int. J. Mol. Sci., 19.10.3390/ijms19030919 ↗
14. Gupta, V.K. (2017). Functional foods from cyanobacteria: An emerging source for functional food products of pharmaceutical importance. Microbial Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals, Wiley-Blackwell. [1st ed.].10.1002/9781119048961 ↗
15. Singh, R., Parihar, P., Singh, M., Bajguz, A., Kumar, J., Singh, S., and Prasad, S.M. (2017). Uncovering potential applications of cyanobacteria and algal metabolites in biology, agriculture and medicine: Current status and future prospects. Front. Microbiol., 8.10.3389/fmicb.2017.00515 ↗
16. Spínola, M.P., Mendes, A.R., and Prates, J.A. (2024). Chemical composition, bioactivities, and applications of Spirulina (Limnospira platensis) in food, feed, and medicine. Foods, 13.10.3390/foods13223656 ↗
17. Nicoletti, M. (2016). Microalgae nutraceuticals. Foods, 5.10.3390/foods5030054 ↗
18. Identification and characterization of the novel bioactive compounds from microalgae and cyanobacteria for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications10.1002/jobm.202100477 ↗
19. Optimizing the production of value-added substances derived from Chroococcus sp. R-10 (Cyanoprokaryota)
20. Effect of temperature and light on the biochemical profile and antimicrobial activity of Chroococcus sp. R-10 (Cyanoprocaryota)
21. A newly isolated stain of Chroococcus sp.: Biotechnological potential & antitumor properties10.59393/amb25410103 ↗
22. Assessment of growth yield of a blue-green alga, Spirulina platensis, in axenic and continuous culture
23. The European Pharmacopoeia Commission, and European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (2010). European Pharmacopoeia, Council of Europe.
24. Antioxidant Activity of Helix aspersa maxima (Gastropod) Hemocyanin
25. Re, R., Pellegrini, N., Proteggente, A., Pannala, A., Yang, M., and Rice-Evans, C. (1999). Antioxidant activity applying an improved ABTS radical cation decolorization assay. Free Radic. Biol. Med., 26.10.1016/S0891-5849(98)00315-3 ↗
26. Use of a free radical method to evaluate antioxidant activity10.1016/S0023-6438(95)80008-5 ↗
27. Superoxide dismutase: Improved assays and an assay applicable to acrylamide gels10.1016/0003-2697(71)90370-8 ↗
28. Novel total antioxidant capacity index for dietary polyphenols and vitamins C and E, using their cupric ion reducing capability in the presence of neocuproine: CUPRAC method10.1021/jf048741x ↗
29. The ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) as a measure of “antioxidant power”: The FRAP assay10.1006/abio.1996.0292 ↗
30. Hachicha, R., Elleuch, F., Ben Hlima, H., Dubessay, P., de Baynast, H., Delattre, C., Pierre, G., Hachicha, R., Abdelkafi, S., and Michaud, P. (2022). Biomolecules from microalgae and cyanobacteria: Applications and market survey. Appl. Sci., 12.10.3390/app12041924 ↗
31. Goshtasbi, H., Safary, A., Movafeghi, A., Barar, J., Akbarzadeh-Khiavi, M., and Omidi, Y. (2025). Anticancer impacts of the unicellular cyanobacterium Chroococcus turgidus bioactive compounds in colorectal adenocarcinoma. BioImpacts BI, 15.10.34172/bi.30867 ↗
32. Assessment of antimicrobial, antialgal and cytotoxic activities of crude extracts from rhizospheric and freshwater cyanobacterial strains10.62940/als.v9i2.1176 ↗
33. Anticancer activity of isolated beta-glucan from Chrocccoccus turgidus (Kützing) Nägeli
34. Anticancer activity of Cyanothece sp. strain extracts from Egypt: First record10.1016/j.apjtb.2015.09.004 ↗
35. Anticancer potential and cytotoxic effect of some freshwater cyanobacteria10.4314/tjpr.v17i11.11 ↗
36. Activation of NRF2 by celastrol increases antioxidant functions and prevents the progression of osteoarthritis in mice
37. Oxidative stress and cellular senescence: Roles in tumor progression and therapeutic opportunities10.1002/mog2.70007 ↗
38. In vitro screening of, antibacterial antifungal and cytotoxicity activities in crude extract of freshwater cyanobacterium Oscillatoria sp.