Anticancer and Immunomodulatory Activities of Prodigiosin Extracted and Purified from Serratia marcescens

Prodigiosin is a naturally occurring compound produced by various bacteria, including Serratia marcescens. It is known for its diverse biological properties. The present study was conducted to extract and purify prodigiosin from Serratia marcescens and investigate its anticancer and immunomodulatory activities.

S. presence was isolated from soil samples and characterized. Different solvents were used to extract prodigiosin from Serratia marcescens. The cytotoxic activity of prodigiosin was tested against human rhabdomyosarcoma (RD), rat embryo fibroblasts (REF), and human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 (MDA) epithelial cell lines. Albino mice were divided into six groups: Negative control (normal saline); positive control (injected with 100 µ l of Serratia marcesence); groups A-D were injected with 100 µ l of prodigiosin (1, 3, 6, and 9 µ g/mouse, respectively). After 14 days of treatment, whole blood samples were collected for immunomodulatory analysis.

The study found that the highest yield of prodigiosin (65-230 mg/l) was obtained with methanol as the extraction solvent. Prodigiosin had a cytotoxic effect on cancer cells, particularly against MDA epithelial cells. However, it did not have a cytotoxic effect on normal cells. Immunological analysis revealed significant differences (p ≤ 0.01) in absolute neutrophil counts between the positive control and prodigiosin-treated groups, with the highest value in group C and the lowest in group A. Immunological analysis showed significant differences in neutrophil counts, IL-4, and IL-10 levels between prodigiosin-treated groups and the control group.

Serratia marcescens prodigiosin showed cytotoxic effects on cancer cells and boosted IL-10 and IL-4 serum levels, acting as an immunomodulator.