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Bioactive substances of cyanobacteria and microalgae: Sources, metabolism, and anticancer mechanism insights

Bouyahya A 1 , Bakrim S 2 , Chamkhi I 3 , Taha D 4 , El Omari N 5 , El Mneyiy N 6 Show all authors , El Hachlafi N 7 , El-Shazly M 8 , Khalid A 9 , Abdalla AN 10 , Goh KW 11 , Ming LC 12 , Goh BH 13 , Aanniz T 14

Affiliations 

  • 1 Laboratory of Human Pathologies Biology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Mohammed V University in Rabat, 10106, Morocco. Electronic address: a.bouyahya@um5r.ac.ma
  • 2 Geo-Bio-Environment Engineering and Innovation Laboratory, Molecular Engineering, Biotechnologies, and Innovation Team, Polydisciplinary Faculty of Taroudant, Ibn Zohr University, Agadir, Morocco
  • 3 Geo-Biodiversity and Natural Patrimony Laboratory (GeoBio), Geophysics, Natural Patrimony Research Center (GEOPAC), Scientific Institute, Mohammed V University in Rabat, Morocco
  • 4 Laboratoire de Spectroscopie, Modélisation Moléculaire, Matériaux, Nanomatériaux, Eau et Environnement, CERNE2D, Faculté des Sciences, Mohammed V University, Rabat 10106, Morocco
  • 5 Laboratory of Histology, Embryology, and Cytogenetic, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Mohammed V University in Rabat, Rabat 10100, Morocco
  • 6 Laboratory of Pharmacology, National Agency of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, 34025 Taouanate, Morocco
  • 7 Microbial Biotechnology and Bioactive Molecules Laboratory, Sciences and Technologies Faculty, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Imouzzer Road Fez, Fez 30003, Morocco
  • 8 Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain-Shams University, Cairo 11566, Egypt; Pharmaceutical Biology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, The German University in Cairo, Cairo 11432, Egypt
  • 9 Substance Abuse and Toxicology Research Center, Jazan University, P.O. Box: 114, Jazan 45142, Saudi Arabia; Medicinal and Aromatic Plants and Traditional Medicine Research Institute, National Center for Research, P.O. Box 2404, Khartoum, Sudan. Electronic address: akahmed@jazanu.edu.sa
  • 10 Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah 21955, Saudi Arabia
  • 11 Faculty of Data Science and Information Technology, INTI International University, 71800 Nilai, Malaysia
  • 12 Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University, Sunway City 47500, Malaysia. Electronic address: longchiauming@gmail.com
  • 13 Sunway Biofunctional Molecules Discovery Centre (SBMDC), School of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University, 47500 Sunway City, Malaysia; College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
  • 14 Biotechnology Laboratory (MedBiotech), Bioinova Research Center, Rabat Medical and Pharmacy School, Mohammed V University, Rabat, Morocco
Biomed Pharmacother, 2024 Jan;170:115989.
PMID: 38103309 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115989

Abstract

Cyanobacteria and microalgae contain various phytochemicals, including bioactive components in the form of secondary metabolites, namely flavonoids, phenolic acids, terpenoids, and tannins, with remarkable anticancer effects. This review highlights the recent advances in bioactive compounds, with potential anticancer activity, produced by cyanobacteria and microalgae. Previous in vitro investigations showed that many of these bioactive compounds exhibit potent effects against different human cancer types, such as leukemia and breast cancers. Multiple mechanisms implicated in the antitumor effect of these compounds were elucidated, including their ability to target cellular, subcellular, and molecular checkpoints linked to cancer development and promotion. Recent findings have highlighted various mechanisms of action of bioactive compounds produced by cyanobacteria and microalgae, including induction of autophagy and apoptosis, inhibition of telomerase and protein kinases, as well as modulation of epigenetic modifications. In vivo investigations have demonstrated a potent anti-angiogenesis effect on solid tumors, as well as a reduction in tumor volume. Some of these compounds were examined in clinical investigations for certain types of cancers, making them potent candidates/scaffolds for antitumor drug development.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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