Abstract
The Red Sea coast is rich in different types of seaweeds, which are suggested to possess medicinal properties. In this study, methanolic extract of Chondrus crispus (MEC), a species of red algae collected from the southeast coast of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia was prepared and analysed for its chemical composition, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic properties. HPLC analysis revealed that flavonoids were found to be predominant constituents of MEC followed by phenols and tannins. Among phenols, catechin, gallic and p-coumaric acids were found to be major components of MEC. The MEC at 200 µg/mL concentration significantly decreased the levels of free radicals including 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate (DPPH) and 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), and displayed significant total antioxidant capacity (TAC). The MEC also significantly inhibited the denaturation of bovine serum albumin (BSA), indicating its anti-inflammatory potential. Furthermore, hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) and adenocarcinoma human alveolar (A549) cells treated with MEC exhibited 81.9% and 71.8% cytotoxic cell death respectively as compared to 69% cell death found in cells treated with reference drug sorafinib. Collectively, the data revealed that flavonoids, phenols and tannins are the major chemical constituents of chondrus crispus species of red algae. Further, the methanolic extract of this species was found to exhibit significant antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic properties in several human cancer cell lines. Thus, red algae commonly found along the shore of Red Sea can be utilized for its medicinal value.