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PM · Lens · Gracilaria foliifera (Forssk.) Børgesen Ethanolic Extract Triggers

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Article · Volume 15, Issue 61 · pp. 259–263

Gracilaria foliifera (Forssk.) Børgesen Ethanolic Extract Triggers

Apoptosis via Activation of p53 Expression in HepG2 Cells Sasikumar Shebi1, Devaraj Ezhilarasan1, John Thomas2, Natarajan Chandrasekaran2, Amitava Mukherjee2

  1. 1Department of Pharmacology, Biomedical Research Unit and Laboratory Animal Centre, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Chennai, India.
  2. 2Centre for Nanobiotechnology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) University, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India.

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the cytotoxic potentials of G. foliifera in HepG2 cells.Materials and Methods: HepG2 cells were fed with culture medium supplemented with different concentrations of ethanolic extract of G. foliifera (20, 40, and 80 µg/mL). After 24 h of treatment, the cytotoxicity was evaluated by 3‑(4,5‑dimethylthiazol‑2‑yl)‑2,5‑diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Induction of early apoptosis was investigated by annexin V‑fluorescein isothiocyanate immunofluorescence. Induction of late apoptosis and necroptosis was investigated by annexin V and propidium iodide (PI) staining. Nuclear chromatin condensation was evaluated by Hoechst staining. p53 protein expression was analyzed using Western blotting.Results: G. foliifera treatment in HepG2 cells caused a significant cytotoxic effect. Phosphatidylserine translocation confirms the induction of early apoptosis. Analysis of late apoptosis using annexin V/PI staining showed that the percentage of apoptotic cells was increased in a concentration‑dependent manner. Hoechst nuclear staining further confirms the nuclear chromatin condensation. G. foliifera treatment also induced the tumor suppressor p53 protein expressions.Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that G. foliifera induced apoptosis in HepG2 cells through activation of p53.

Keywords: Brown marine alga; chromatin condensation; cytotoxicity; Gracilaria foliifera; hepatocellular carcinoma

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