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. 1997 Nov;25(1-3):213–219. doi: 10.1023/A:1007987010840

Selective cytotoxicity of marine algae extracts to several human leukemic cell lines

Hideki Harada, Yuto Kamei
PMCID: PMC3466746  PMID: 22358894

Abstract

Extracts from 8 species of marine algae which showed selective cytotoxicity in our previous screening program, were further examined for cytotoxic spectra to five human leukemic cell lines. The extract from a red alga, Amphiroa zonata exhibited strong cytotoxicity to all human leukemic cell lines tested and murine leukemic cells L1210 at the final concentrations from 15 to 375 µg ml−1. Then the cytotoxicity was not found in normal human fibroblast HDF and murine normal cells NIH-3T3. The active extract fraction from this alga was soluble in higher polar organic solvents and water and heat-stable. The extract from a brown alga Dilophus okamurae with weak selective cytotoxic activity to L1210 cells exhibited not only strong cytotoxicity to L1210, but also to human leukemic cells, HL60 and MOLT-4 at 50 µg ml-1. While, the extract from a green alga, Cladophoropsis vaucheriaeformis with most selective cytotoxic activity, did not show cytotoxicity to any human leukemic cell lines tested at 50 µg ml-1. However, this extract showed strong cytotoxicity to two human leukemic cell lines and NIH-3T3 at 100 µg ml−1. Thus, it was considered that a red alga, Amphiroa zonata might be suitable natural source for development of anti-cancer agents without side-effect.

Keywords: human leukemic cells, in vitro, antitumor activity, marine algae, extracts, selective cytotoxicity

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