Cytotoxicity of Usnea longissima Ach. extracts and its secondary metabolite, usnic acid on different cells

Year 2023, Volume: 7 Issue: 2, 140 - 145, 15.11.2023

Tubanur Aslan Engin , Buğrahan Emsen , Rabia Yılmaz , Rabia Cakir Koc , Benan İnan , Didem Ozcimen

https://doi.org/10.30616/ajb.1343823

Abstract

The biological activities of lichens, known as organisms based on a symbiotic relationship, are attracting more and more attention in traditional medicine and modern drug research. Lichens can possess various pharmacological effects such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, and many others due to the bioactive compounds they contain. In the present study, Usnea longissima Ach. and its secondary metabolite, usnic acid on human gastric adenocarcinoma cells (AGS), human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells (Caco-2), and mouse fibroblasts (NIH/3T3) were investigated. In this context, methanol and water extracts from U. longissima were obtained by Soxhlet extractor. The characterization of usnic acid was carried out by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The cytotoxic activities of the extracts and the metabolite on cells were determined by 2,3-bis-(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide (XTT) analysis. Considering the median inhibitory concentration (IC50) values, the application with the greater effect on AGS and NIH/3T3 cells was the methanol extract (373.17 µg/ml and 318.81 µg/ml, respectively). Considering the Caco-2 cells, it was determined that the water extract had the lowest IC50 value (230.05 µg/ml). The high cytotoxic activity of usnic acid on cancer cells (AGS; IC50: 395.03 µg/ml and Caco-2; IC50: 462.35 µg/ml) compared to normal cell (NIH/3T3; IC50: 472.41 µg/ml) was noted. As a result, it has been revealed that methanol and water extracts of U. longissima, especially usnic acid, are products that can be used within the scope of complementary therapy.

Keywords

Anticancer, extract, lichen, secondary metabolite

Usnea longissima Ach. ekstraktları ve onun sekonder metaboliti usnik asidin farklı hücreler üzerindeki sitotoksisitesi

Abstract

Simbiyotik bir ilişkiye dayanan organizmalar olarak bilinen likenlerin biyolojik aktiviteleri, geleneksel tıp ve modern ilaç araştırmalarında giderek daha fazla ilgi çekmektedir. Likenler, içerdikleri biyoaktif bileşikler sayesinde antimikrobiyal, antioksidan, antitümör, antiinflamatuar ve diğer pek çok farmakolojik etkiye sahip olabilir. Mevcut çalışmada, Usnea longissima Ach. ve onun sekonder metaboliti usnik asidin insan gastrik adenokarsinom hücreleri (AGS), insan kolorektal adenokarsinom hücreleri (Caco-2) ve fare fibroblastları (NIH/3T3) üzerindeki sitotoksik etkileri incelenmiştir. Bu kapsamda, U. longissima’dan metanol ve su ekstraktları Soxhlet ekstraktörü ile elde edilmiştir. Usnik asidin karakterizasyonu fourier dönüşümlü kizilötesi spektroskopisi (FTIR) ile gerçekleştirilmiştir. Ekstraktlar ve metabolitin hücreler üzerindeki sitotoksik aktiviteleri 2,3-bis-(2-metoksi-4-nitro-5-sülfofenil)-2H-tetrazolyum-5-karboksanilid (XTT) analizi ile tespit edilmiştir. Medyan inhibitör konsantrasyonu (IC50) değerleri dikkate alındığında, AGS ve NIH/3T3 hücreleri üzerinde daha fazla etkili olan uygulama metanol ekstraktı olmuştur (sırasıyla, 373.17 µg/ml ve 318.81 µg/ml). Caco-2 hücreleri dikkate alındığında, su ekstraktının en düşük IC50 değerine (230.05 µg/ml) sahip olduğu belirlenmiştir. Usnik asidin normal hücreye (NIH/3T3; IC50: 472.41 µg/ml) kıyasla kanserli hücreler (AGS; IC50: 395.03 µg/ml ve Caco-2; IC50: 462.35 µg/ml) üzerindeki yüksek sitotoksik etkinliği dikkat çekmiştir. Sonuç olarak, başta usnik asit olmak üzere U. longissima'nın metanol ve su ekstraktlarının tamamlayıcı tedavi kapsamında kullanılabilecek ürünler olduğu ortaya çıkmıştır.

Keywords

Antikanser, ekstrakt, liken, sekonder metabolit

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