Phenolic content, anti-oxidant, anti-plasmodium and cytotoxic properties of the sponge Acanthella cavernosa

ObjectiveTo investigate the total phenolic content, anti-oxidant capacity and cytotoxic activity present in the n-hexane, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and aqueous fractions of an extract collected at Selayar Island, Indonesia.MethodsThe antioxidant activity was performed by the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging method and β-carotene bleaching assay. All fractions from the crude extract of Acanthella cavernosa (A. cavernosa) were examined for their cytotoxicity using brine shrimp lethality bioassay and heme polymerization inhibitory activity assay for antimalarial activity.ResultsThe highest phenolic content was found in the n-butanol fraction, followed by the ethyl acetate, aqueous and n-hexane fractions. The highest antioxidant activity, as determined by the β-carotene bleaching assay, was observed in the n-hexane fraction. On the other hand, the n-hexane fraction was most effective in suppressing 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radicals and neutralizing 50% of free radicals at the concentration of 171.86 μg/mL. Various fractions of the A. cavernosa extract showed the ability to inhibit heme polymerization indicating an anti-Plasmodium function. In this regard, the ethyl acetate fraction achieved an IC50 value of 3.3 μg/mL. The aqueous fraction showed moderate cytotoxic activity against the brine shrimp Artemia sp.ConclusionsThis study provided information on antioxidant, total phenolic content and antimalarial activities as well as the cytotoxicity of all fractions from the crude extract of A. cavernosa. The natural anti-Plasmodium compounds are of particular interest. Further studies are needed for a more extensive screening and characterization of the bioactive components in this sponge.