Potential Activity of Arthrospira platensis as Antioxidant, Cytotoxic and Antifungal against Some Skin Diseases: Topical Cream Application

Abstract

This research evaluated the antifungal effectiveness of Arthrospira platensis ethanol, methanol, ethyl acetate and acetone extracts against the tested pathogenic fungi (Candida albicans, Trichophyton rubrum and Malassezia furfur). Antioxidant and cytotoxicity effectiveness of A. platensis extracts against four distinct cell lines were also assessed. Methanol extract of A. platensis exhibited the highest inhibition zones against Candida albicans as measured by the well diffusion method. A transmission electron micrograph of the treated group of Candida cells with A. platensis methanolic extract showed mild lysis and vacuolation of the cytoplasmic organelles. In vivo, after induced infection of mice by C. albicans and treatment with A. platensis methanolic extract cream, the skin layer emerged with the removal of Candida spherical plastopores. The extract of A. platensis recorded the highest antioxidant activity using the DPPH (2, 2- diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) scavenging method (IC50 28 mg/mL). A cytotoxicity test using a MTT assay showed that the A. platensis extract had strong cytotoxic activity against the HepG2 cell line (IC50 20.56 ± 1.7 μg/mL) and moderate cytotoxic activity against MCF7 and the Hela cell (IC50 27.99 ± 2.1 μg/mL). Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectroscopy (GC/MS) results revealed that the effective activity of A. platensis extract could be linked to a synergistic impact between their prominent composition as alkaloids, phytol, fatty acids hydrocarbons, phenolics and phthalates. A. platensis extract contains active metabolites that constitute a promising source of antifungal, antioxidant and anti-proliferative compounds for the pharmaceutical drug industry.