Myracrodruon urundeuva lectins present anticancer and anticryptococcal activities with low cytotoxic or genotoxic effects

• Published in: South African journal of botany Vol. 157; pp. 614 - 621
• Main Authors: Videres, Larissa Cardoso Corrêa de Araújo, de Barros, Matheus Cavalcanti, Procópio, Thamara Figueiredo, Ferreira, Gustavo Ramos Salles, da Silva, Pollyanna Michelle, Batista, André Mariano, Guerra, Maria Madalena Pessoa, Vainstein, Marilene Henning, Aguiar, Jaciana dos Santos, Lima, Thâmarah de Albuquerque, Napoleão, Thiago Henrique, da Silva, Teresinha Gonçalves, Paiva, Patrícia Maria Guedes
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.06.2023
• Subjects: Cancer; Cryptococcus; Genotoxicity; Hemolytic activity; PBS; DMSO; MIC; Genotoxicity; MuHL; MFC; EDTA; MTT; MuLL; SDB; MMS; CFU; FBS; MuBL; Cryptococcus; Hemolytic activity; Cancer
• ISSN: 0254-6299; 1727-9321
• DOI: 10.1016/j.sajb.2023.04.030

•M. urundeuva lectins were potentially toxic to human lymphocytes and non-hemolytic.•M. urundeuva lectins showed weak genotoxicity to human lymphocytes.•MuHL and MuLL were moderately active against cancer cell lines.•MuHL non-cytotoxic or genotoxic doses were fungicidal against Cryptococcus.•MuHL acted synergistically with fluconazole and inhibited C. neoformans biofilm. This study evaluated the lectins from bark (MuBL), heartwood (MuHL) and leaf (MuLL) of Myracrodruon urundeuva for cytotoxicity on cancer and normal cells; hemolytic activity; genotoxicity using comet and micronucleus tests; and antifungal activity against Cryptococcus through determination of minimal inhibitory (MIC) and minimal fungicidal (MFC) concentration, antibiofilm formation effect and evaluation of synergism with other drugs. MuBL, MuHL and MuLL showed IC50 on mononuclear peripheral blood cells of 58.41, 43.19 and 62.28 µg/mL, respectively. MuHL and MuLL (25 µg/mL) were moderately active on the cancer cell lines HL-60 (promyelocytic leukemia), NCI-H292 (lung mucoepidermoid carcinoma) and MCF-7 (breast adenocarcinoma). The percentage of hemolysis promoted by lectins ranged from 0 to 11.6%. Data from comet assay revealed that MuBL (100 µg/mL), MuHL and MuLL (50 µg/mL) showed frequency of damage of 33.5%, 35.67% and 65.2%, respectively. On micronucleus test, the number of micronuclei was 7.91, 7.41 and 8.91 to MuBL (100 µg/mL), MuHL and MuLL (50 µg/mL), and did not differ from the negative control. Only MuHL exhibited fungistatic and fungicidal activity with MIC of 6.25 and 12.5 µg/mL and MFC of 12.5 and 25 µg/mL against Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii, respectively. MuHL also potentialized antibiotic action and reduced in 80% biofilm formation by C. neoformans. In conclusion, lectins from M. urundeuva did not promote damage to erythrocytes and presented low cytotoxicity and absence of genotoxicity on lymphocytes. Nontoxic concentrations of MuHL and MuLL showed moderate cytotoxicity on cancer cell lines. MuHL presented antifungal activity against Cryptococcus isolates.