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 mu g/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 mu g/mL) and 1/2 IC50 (9.5 mu g/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.