Cytotoxic Effect of the GenusSinulariaExtracts on Human SCC25 and HaCaT Cells

Soft corals of the genusSinulariaare being increasingly adopted to treat a wide variety of disease processes. However, the mechanism underlying its activity against human oral cancer cells is poorly understood. This study evaluates the cyototoxicity effects of the genusSinulariaextracts (S. grandilobata, S. parva, S. triangula, S. scabra, S. nanolobataandS. gibberosa) by SCC25 and HaCaT cells. The cell adhesion assay indicates that extracts reduce the cell attachment. Extracts exhibit a dose-dependent cytotoxic effect using MTS assay.Treatment of extracts to observe the morphological alterations in cells, membrane blebbing, nuclear condensation, and apoptotic bodies is demonstrated. Flow cytometry shows that extracts sensitized the cells in theG0/G1andG2/Mphases with a concomitant significantly increased sub-G1fraction, suggesting cell death by apoptosis. Extracts of the genusSinulariathus apparently cause apoptosis of SCC25 and HaCaT cells, and warrant further research investigating the possible antioral cancer compounds in these soft corals.