Metabolites Profiling and In Vitro Biological Characterization of Different Fractions of Cliona sp. Marine Sponge from the Red Sea Egypt.

Red Sea marine sponges are an important source of biologically active natural products. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate, for the first time, the components of n-hexane, dichloromethane, and ethyl acetate fractions of Cliona sp. marine sponge collected from the Red Sea, Egypt using UPLC-ESI-MS/MS (Ultra-performance liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry) analysis. The analysis revealed the tentative identification of 23, 16, and 24 compounds from the n-hexane, dichloromethane, and ethyl acetate fractions of Cliona sp., respectively. In addition, the examination of these fractions resulted in the isolation and identification of three sterols and one amino acid. The identification of the isolated compounds was confirmed by 1D and 2D NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance), and MS (Mass spectrometry), and IR (Infrared) spectroscopy. The in vitro cytotoxic, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activities of the total ethanolic extract and its sub-fractions were also evaluated. Interestingly, the ethyl acetate fraction showed potent cytotoxic activity against colon (HCT-116) and human larynx carcinoma (HEP-2) cell lines with IC50 (Half-maximal Inhibitory Concentration) 6.11 ± 0.2 and 12.6 ± 0.9 µg/mL, respectively. However, the dichloromethane fraction showed strong antioxidant activity, with IC50 75.53 ± 3.41 µg/mL. Notably, the total ethanolic extract showed the strongest antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, with MIC (Minimum Inhibitory Concentration) 62.5 ± 0.82 and 125 ± 0.62 µg/mL, respectively, compared to other fractions. In conclusion, this is the first report on the secondary metabolites content and biological activities of Cliona sp. from the Red Sea, Egypt. It also highlights the need for further research on the most active fractions against various cancer cell lines and resistant bacterial and fungal strains. Cliona sp. extract and its fractions could be a potential source of novel and safe natural drugs with a wide range of medicinal and pharmaceutical applications.

Hepatoprotective potential of Lavandula coronopifolia extracts against ethanol induced oxidative stress-mediated cytotoxicity in HepG2 cells.

The present investigations were carried out to study the protective potential of four extracts (namely petroleum ether extract (LCR), chloroform extract (LCM), ethyl acetate extract (LCE), and alcoholic extract (LCL)) of Lavandula coronopifolia on oxidative stress-mediated cell death induced by ethanol, a known hepatotoxin in human hapatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cells. Cells were pretreated with LCR, LCM, LCE, and LCL extracts (10-50 µg/ml) of L. coronopifolia for 24 h and then ethanol was added and incubated further for 24 h. After the exposure, cell viability using (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) and neutral red uptake assays and morphological changes in HepG2 cells were studied. Pretreatment with various extracts of L. coronpifolia was found to be significantly effective in countering the cytotoxic responses of ethanol. Antioxidant properties of these L. coronopifolia extracts against reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, lipid peroxidation (LPO), and glutathione (GSH) levels induced by ethanol were investigated. Results show that pretreatment with these extracts for 24 h significantly inhibited ROS generation and LPO induced and increased the GSH levels reduced by ethanol. The data from the study suggests that LCR, LCM, LCE, and LCL extracts of L. coronopifolia showed hepatoprotective activity against ethanol-induced damage in HepG2 cells. However, a comparative study revealed that the LCE extract was found to be the most effective and LCL the least effective. The hepatoprotective effects observed in the study could be associated with the antioxidant properties of these extracts of L. coronopifolia.