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Paralemnalia thyrsoides-associated fungi: phylogenetic diversity, cytotoxic potential, metabolomic profiling and
Radwa Taher Mohie El-Dien1,2, Basma Khalaf Mahmoud3, Miada F Abdelwahab3
1Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of pharmacy, New Valley University, New Valley City, Egypt.
Background:
Cancer continues to be one of the biggest causes of death that affects human health. Chemical resistance is still a problem in conventional cancer treatments. Fortunately, numerous natural compounds originating from different microbes, including fungi, possess cytotoxic characteristics that are now well known. This study aims to investigate the anticancer prospects of five fungal strains that were cultivated and isolated from the Red Sea soft coral Paralemnalia thyrsoides. The in vitro cytotoxic potential of the ethyl acetate extracts of the different five isolates were evaluated using MTS assay against four cancer cell lines; A549, CT-26, MDA-MB-231, and U87. Metabolomics profiling of the different extracts using LC-HR-ESI-MS, besides molecular docking studies for the dereplicated compounds were performed to unveil the chemical profile and the cytotoxic mechanism of the soft coral associated fungi.
Results:
The five isolated fungal strains were identified as Penicillium griseofulvum (RD1), Cladosporium sphaerospermum (RD2), Cladosporium liminiforme (RD3), Penicillium chrysogenum (RD4), and Epicoccum nigrum (RD5). The in vitro study showed that the ethyl acetate extract of RD4 exhibited the strongest cytotoxic potency against three cancer cell lines A549, CT-26 and MDA-MB-231 with IC50 values of 1.45 ± 8.54, 1.58 ± 6.55 and 1.39 ± 2.0 µg/mL, respectively, also, RD3 revealed selective cytotoxic potency against A549 with IC50 value of 6.99 ± 3.47 µg/mL. Docking study of 32 compounds dereplicated from the metabolomics profiling demonstrated a promising binding conformation with EGFR tyrosine kinase that resembled its co-crystallized ligand albeit with better binding energy score.
Conclusion:
Our results highlight the importance of soft coral-associated fungi as a promising source for anticancer metabolites for future drug discovery.
Insights
Fungi from Red Sea soft corals show anticancer potential. Extracts from Penicillium chrysogenum (RD4) and Cladosporium liminiforme (RD3) demonstrated significant cytotoxic effects against various cancer cell lines in vitro.
Area of Science:
- Marine Microbiology
- Natural Product Chemistry
- Cancer Research
Background:
- Cancer remains a leading cause of mortality globally.
- Conventional cancer treatments face challenges due to chemical resistance.
- Natural compounds from microbial sources, including fungi, exhibit promising cytotoxic properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the anticancer potential of five fungal strains isolated from the Red Sea soft coral *Paralemnalia thyrsoides*.
- To evaluate the cytotoxic activity of ethyl acetate extracts from these fungi against human cancer cell lines.
- To identify the chemical profile and elucidate the cytotoxic mechanisms of these fungal extracts.
Main Methods:
- Isolation and cultivation of five fungal strains from *Paralemnalia thyrsoides*.
- In vitro cytotoxic evaluation using MTS assay against A549, CT-26, MDA-MB-231, and U87 cancer cell lines.
- Metabolomics profiling via LC-HR-ESI-MS and molecular docking studies for compound analysis.
Main Results:
- The ethyl acetate extract of *Penicillium chrysogenum* (RD4) showed potent cytotoxicity against A549, CT-26, and MDA-MB-231 cell lines (IC50 values < 2.0 µg/mL).
- *Cladosporium liminiforme* (RD3) exhibited selective cytotoxicity against the A549 cell line (IC50 = 6.99 ± 3.47 µg/mL).
- Metabolomics identified 32 compounds, with docking studies revealing favorable binding to EGFR tyrosine kinase.
Conclusions:
- Soft coral-associated fungi represent a valuable resource for discovering novel anticancer agents.
- The identified fungal extracts possess significant cytotoxic potential warranting further investigation for drug development.
- The study provides insights into the chemical basis and molecular targets of fungal-derived anticancer compounds.
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