Table 1 List of compounds with anticancer properties derived from various microalgae

Isochrysis galbana and Nannochloropsis oculata

Exopolysaccharide

HeLa cells

Antioxidant capacity and antiproliferative activity

[130]

Chaetoceros calcitrans

Ethanolic extract (absolute)

Breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7), breast epithelial (MCF-10A), peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PMBC)

Stimulation of pro-apoptotic protein (Bax and caspases 3) and 7 transcripts; apoptotic protein formation

[131]

Amphidinium carterae, Amphidinium operculatum, Prorocentrum rhathymum, Heterocapsa psammophila, Coolia malayensis, Ostreopsis ovate, Symbiodinium sp.

Methanolic Extract (80%)

Murine macrophage cell line (RAW 264.7) and human promyelocytic leukemia cell line (HL-60)

Cell viability reduction and cytotoxic effect

[132]

Skeletonema marinoi, Alexandrium tamutum, Alexandrium minutum, Alexandrium andersoni

Hydrophobic fraction (acetone (1): water (1))

Melanoma cancer cell line (A2058) and normal lung fibroblast (MRC-5)

Cell viability reduction and cytotoxic effect in both cells

[133]

Chlorella sorokiniana

Aqueous extract (hot water)

Lung adenocarcinoma cell lines (A549 and CL1-5)

Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, caspase-9, caspase-3 and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) activation; apoptosis induction

[134]

Thalassiosira rotula, Skeletonema costatum, Pseudo-nitzschia delicatissima

Polyunsaturated Aldehydes (PUAs)

Human colon adenocarcinoma cell line (Caco-2)

Reduced cell viability; DNA fragmentation; apoptosis induction

[113]

Dunaliella tertiolecta

Violaxanthin

Breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7), human epithelial breast cancer cell (MDA-MB-231), lung adenocarcinoma cell line (A549), and human prostate adenocarcinoma cells (LNCaP)

Reduced cell viability; cytotoxic effect; apoptosis induction; no DNA fragmentation

[135]

Navicula incerta

Stigmasterol

Human liver cancer cell line (HepG2)

Cytotoxic effect; apoptosis induction

[136]

Conticribra weissflogii

Fucoxanthin

Sepsis mouse model

Inhibition of NF-κB signaling pathway; anti-inflammatory; reduced interleukins (IL-1β and IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α expression

[137]

Porphyridium purpureum

Zeaxanthin

Melanoma cells (A2058)

Antiproliferative activity; chromatin condensation; nuclear blebbing; inhibition of NF-κB signaling pathway; upregulation of pro-apoptotic factors (Bim and Bid); apoptosis induction

[138]

Nannochloropsis oculata

Sterols

Human promyelocytic leukemia cell line (HL-60), colorectal carcinoma cell line (HCT-116), adenocarcinoma human alveolar basal epithelial cell line (A549), human colon adenocarcinoma cell line (SW-480), hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (Hep3B)

Anti-inflammatory and apoptosis induction

[139]

Spirulina maxima

Sterols

Breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7)

Cytotoxic effect

[140]

Tetradesmus obliquus

Peptide

-

Antioxidant and angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activities

[141]

Dunaliella salina

β-carotene

Human prostate cancer cell line (PC-3)

DNA fragmentation; mitochondrial dysfunction; apoptosis induction

[55]

Haematococcus pluvialis

Astaxanthin

Human hepatoma cancer cell line (HepG2)

Glutathione depletion; cell cycle arrest (G0/G1 phase); DNA fragmentation; apoptosis induction

[142]

Phaeodactylum tricornutum

Sulfated polysaccharides

Human hepatoma cancer cell line (HepG2)

Apoptosis induction

[143]