Hemolytic, anticancer and antigiardial activity of Palythoa caribaeorum venom

 

Fernando Lazcano-Pérez¹, Ariana Zavala-Moreno¹, Yadira Rufino-González², Martha Ponce-Macotela², Alejandro García-Arredondo³, Miguel Cuevas-Cruz¹, Saúl Gómez-Manzo⁴, Jaime Marcial-Quino⁵, Barbarín Arreguín-Lozano, Roberto Arreguín-Espinosa¹

 

1 Departamento de Química de Biomacromoléculas, Instituto de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad 3000, Ciudad Universitaria, C.P. 04510. Apdo, Postal 70250 Mexico City, Mexico.

2 Laboratorio de Parasitología Experimental, Instituto Nacional de Pediatría, Insurgentes Sur 3700-C, 04530 Mexico City, Mexico.

3 Laboratorio de Investigación Química y Farmacológica de Productos Naturales, Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Centro Universitario, 76010 Querétaro, Mexico.

4 CONACYT-Instituto Nacional de Pediatría, Secretaría de Salud, 04530 Mexico City, Mexico.

5 Laboratorio de Bioquímica Genética, Instituto Nacional de Pediatría, Insurgentes Sur 3700-C, 04530 Mexico City, Mexico.

 

ABSTRACT

Background

Cnidarian venoms and extracts have shown a broad variety of biological activities including cytotoxic, antibacterial and antitumoral effects. Most of these studied extracts were obtained from sea anemones or jellyfish. The present study aimed to determine the toxic activity and assess the antitumor and antiparasitic potential of Palythoa caribaeorum venom by evaluating its in vitro toxicity on several models including human tumor cell lines and against the parasite Giardia intestinalis.

Methods

The presence of cytolysins and vasoconstrictor activity of P. caribaeorum venom were determined by hemolysis, PLA₂and isolated rat aortic ring assays, respectively. The cytotoxic effect was tested on HCT-15 (human colorectal adenocarcinoma), MCF-7 (human mammary adenocarcinoma), K562 (human chronic myelogenous leukemia), U251 (human glyoblastoma), PC-3 (human prostatic adenocarcinoma) and SKLU-1 (human lung adenocarcinoma). An in vivo toxicity assay was performed with crickets and the antiparasitic assay was performed against G. intestinalis at 24 h of incubation.

Results

P. caribaeorum venom produced hemolytic and PLA₂ activity and showed specific cytotoxicity against U251 and SKLU-1 cell lines, with approximately 50% growing inhibition. The venom was toxic to insects and showed activity against G. intestinalis in a dose-dependent manner by possibly altering its membrane osmotic equilibrium.

Conclusion

These results suggest that P. caribaeorum venom contains compounds with potential therapeutic value against microorganisms and cancer.

 

Keywords: Cnidarian; Palythoa caribaeorum; Cytotoxin; Antitumoral effect; Giardiasis

 

Received: December 01, 2017.

Accepted: March 27, 2018.

 

Correspondence: arrespin@unam.mx

 

Authors’ contributions

FLP, AZM and MCC performed collection of samples and venom extraction. AGA performed the aorta, insect toxicity and hemolytic experiments. YRG and MPM, performed antiparasitic experiment. All authors contributed with the bioassays. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

 

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.