EVALUATION OF IN VITRO ANTICANCER AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF MARINE MICRO ALGAL EXTRACTS

Rahul Pratap*, Rakesh Kumar Jat and M. L. Lal Prasanth

ABSTRACT

The present study was aimed to evaluate the anticancer and antioxidant activity of the five algal samples named as S–1 to S–5 isolated from the seawater collection of Muttom coastal region of Kanyakumari District. Mass production of micro algae was done by using sea water containing Walne’s medium and each cultivated algae was isolated by centrifugation and extracted with different solvents viz., ethyl acetate, methanol and water. The extracts obtained were evaluated for in vitro anticancer and antioxidant activity. Anticancer activity was evaluated by MTT assay using the cell lines MCF7 and SKMEL. In this evaluation, extracts of all the algal samples showed anticancer activity against the selected cell lines, however, the methanol extract of S–2 sample showed significant activity comparing with other samples. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by DPPH, reducing power assay and superoxide radical scavenging assay methods. In this evaluation also, the methanol extract of S–2 sample showed a significant antioxidant activity in all the tested methods. These results are useful for further investigation in the future.

Keywords: Marine microalgae, extraction, anticancer activity, antioxidant activity.