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IN VITRO CYToTOxicity of SEAWEEDS from KARACHI COAST ON BRINE Shrimp

AYESHA¹, HIRA¹, VIQAR SULTANA¹, JEHAN ARA² AND SYED EHTESHAMUL-HAQUE³

Abstract: Marine algal community signifies a huge source of compound endowed with ingenious structure and potential biological activities. Cytotoxicity of plant or fungal material is considered as the presence of antitumor compounds. In this study, ethanol extracts of seaweeds Dictyota dichotoma var. velutricata, D. hauckiana, D. indica, Iyengaria stellata, Jolyna laminarioides, Melanothamnus afaqhusainii, Sargassum ilicifolium, S. lanceolatum and Ulva fasciata occurring at Karachi coast were screened for the cytotoxic activity using brine shrimp lethality for larvae (nauplii). Out of 9 seaweeds tested, ethanol extract of eight species showed significant cytotoxicity (LC₅₀ <1000µg) on brine shrimp. Dictyota indica showed highest cytotoxic activity (LC₅₀ =143µg).

¹Biotechnology and Drug Development Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, University of Karachi, Karachi-75270, Pakistan,

²Postharvest Technology Laboratory, Department of Food Science & Technology, University of Karachi, Karachi-75270, Pakistan,

³Agricultural Biotechnology and Phytopathology Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Karachi, Karachi-75270, Pakistan.