Investigating the effects of Sargassum glaucescens extract on virulence gene expression of Salmonella typhi and it’s anticancer potential in Caco2 cancer cells

Authors

Department of Biology, ET.C., East Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

10.22092/ijfs.2025.134674

Abstract

The increasing prevalence of antibiotic resistance has led researchers to search for pharmaceutical products that can replace antibiotics or be used in combination with them. Among natural compounds, brown algae extract can have inhibitory effects on bacteria. In the present study, the effect of Sargassum glaucescens extract on virulence gene expression and its anticancer potential was investigated. Stool samples were collected from gastrointestinal infection individuals referred to Imam Khomeini and Milad Hospitals in Tehran from March 21, 2022, to September 21, 2022. Salmonella typhi isolates were identified using phenotypic and chemical tests. Next, Vir gene was confirmed through a polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In the next step, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the methanolic extract of S. glaucescens was determined. Furthermore, the expression level of Vir, P53, and Bcl-2 was investigated using the Real-Time PCR method. Among 110 collected samples, 60 isolates of S. typhi were identified, all of which had the Vir gene. The MIC of the methanolic extract was S. glaucescens 16 μg/ml. The expression level of Vir and Bcl-2 in Caco2 cells infected with S. typhi, and treated with S. glaucescens extract was significantly decreased (p˂0.001). Besides, the expression level of P53 showed a significant increase (p<0.0001). The obtained results showed that the methanolic extract of S. glaucescens has strong anti-bacterial and anti-cancer effects.

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