Active biological materials inhibiting tumor initiation extracted from marine algae

Abstract

Ethanol extraction of seventeen algal species from 35 different samples collected from the coastal area of Abou-Qir, Egypt, South East of the Mediterranean Sea Coast, was conducted. The aim was to obtain natural products from the algal extracts which have significant biologically active algal compounds. The collected algae showed a wide variation in their occurrence during the period of collection. Thirty five extracts representing different seasonal growths of 17 marine algal species were tested for antitumorigenic activity. Tests performed were the toxicity bioassay using Brine shrimp Artemia salina and the anti-tumor bioassay against Agrobacterium tumefaciens on potato discs. Codium tomentosum (winter); Jaina rubens (summer) and Padina pavonia (winter) displayed relatively high activity