Cytotoxic and pharmacokinetic studies of Indian seaweed polysaccharides for formulating raindrop synbiotic candy

Area of Science:

• Marine biotechnology
• Cancer research
• Microbiome studies

Background:

• The gut microbiome plays a crucial role in the development of colorectal cancer, influenced by environmental factors like diet and lifestyle.
• Investigating natural compounds for anticancer properties is vital for developing new therapeutic strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the cytotoxic and anticancer potential of enzymatically extracted polysaccharides from Indian seaweeds.
• To assess the anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects of seaweed extracts on macrophage and colon cancer cell lines.
• To explore the drug development potential of these extracts through Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Excretion (ADME) predictions.

Main Methods:

• Enzymatic extraction of polysaccharides from selected Indian seaweeds (S. wightii, E. compressa, A. spicifera).
• In vitro cytotoxic assays on HT-29 human colon cancer cells and Raw 264.7 macrophage cell lines.
• Measurement of nitric oxide production.
• In silico ADME predictions for drug development feasibility.
• Formulation and stability testing of a synbiotic candy with L. plantarum NCIM 2083.

Main Results:

• E. compressa extract induced nitric oxide production up to 6.99 ± 0.05 μM.
• A. spicifera polysaccharide extract (PES) exhibited the highest in vitro cytotoxicity against HT-29 cells (52.13 ± 1.4% at 100 μg/ml).
• The formulated synbiotic candy maintained probiotic viability (L. plantarum NCIM 2083 > 10^7 CFU/ml) for three weeks.

Conclusions:

• Seaweed-derived polysaccharides possess significant in vitro anticancer and cytotoxic properties against colon cancer cells.
• A. spicifera shows promising potential for anti-colon cancer drug development.
• The synbiotic candy formulation is a viable functional food for managing colon cancer, supporting probiotic survivability.