Cytotoxic Activity of the Baltic Cyanobacterium Pseudanabaena galeata CCNP1313

While tropical regions have traditionally been the focus of studies on natural bioactive products, works published within the last decade demonstrate that cyanobacteria from the Baltic Sea also possess significant biotechnological and pharmaceutical potential. The Baltic Pseudanabaena galeata CCNP1313 previously demonstrated activity against breast cancer cell lines (MCF7 and T47D) and several viruses. In the present study, the cytotoxicity of cellular extract and flash chromatography fractions from the strain were evaluated against a wider panel of cancer cells (A549, C-33A, CaSki, DoTC2, HeLa, PC3, SiHa, and T47D). To gain better insight into the compounds potentially responsible for the observed effects, high-resolution mass spectrometry was combined with bioactivity-based molecular networking. Both the extract and hydrophobic fractions showed strong cytotoxicity, particularly against breast cancer cells and selected cervical cancer cells. While HRMS analyses confirmed the production of previously characterised peptides by CCNP1313 (Pseudanabaena galeata peptides and galeapeptins), neither of them was found to be responsible for the activity. Instead, the molecular networking approach linked the cytotoxicity to specific lipid classes, including diacylglycerols (DAGs) and monogalactosyldiacylglycerols (MGDGs). This study highlights the necessity of integrating traditional methods with advanced bioinformatics for the successful discovery of bioactive natural products, especially when complex samples, such as extract or chromatographically separated fractions, are analysed.