Marine bacteria: A Pandora box against cancer

Abstract

Due to their exceptional biocompatibility, bioavailability, safety and stability marine natural pigments have recently become a potent alternative in the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. Numerous studies have demonstrated that marine pigments like chlorophyll, carotenoids, phyco-biliprotein, melanin having an array of biological and biomedical applications, are frequently isolated from bacteria, fungi, algae and seaweed. The role of these potent pharmaceutical derivatives are seen to have antioxidant, antibacterial, anticancer as well as anti-inflammatory characteristics. Substantial reports over the last few decades have centralized on isolating and identifying new marine chemicals for their purpose as anti-cancer drug therapies. Because of their extraordinary antioxidant nature besides antibacterial activities, these therapeutic potential bacterial pigments can be harnessed and can be seen as a newer addition to prevalent anticancer drugs. A number of erstwhile reports have thrown much light regarding marine pigments that includes -carotene, fucoxanthin, astaxanthin, violaxanthin, halocynthiaxanthin, lutein, zeaxanthin, canthaxanthin, peridinin, and phycocyanin derivatives which exhibited potent anti-proliferative effects against breast and colon cancer cell lines by inducing apoptosis, fragmenting DNA, and arresting the cell cycle. Thus this review concentrates on these microbial pigments that can open newer avenues against the curse of cancer.