Apoptosis of SiHa and HCT116 cancer cell-lines by Scorpaenopsis venosa toxic extracts

Spine-venom gland and gonad of the scorpion fish Scorpaenopsis venosa was excised and extracted with Phosphate Buffer Saline. Crude protein was purified using DEAE cellulose anion exchange column chromatography. Protein content of the purified fractions of spine venom gland ranged from 0.053 to 0.076 mg.ml. Whereas, the protein content of the purified gonad extracts ranged from 0.056 to 0.076 mg.ml. Crude as well as the partially purified proteins had considerable haemolytic activity in chicken and goat erythrocytes and it was found to be dose dependent. Fractionated extracts of the spine-venom gland induced cytotoxicity in Human cervical cancer cell line (SiHa) and Human colon cancer cell line (HCT 116). Purified fractions of spine-venom gland showed maximum apoptosis (59/100) in chromatin condensation assay against SiHa and HCT 116 (20.5/100). SDS-PAGE analysis of spine-venom gland fractionated protein yielded three bands at 71.2, 51 and 34 kDa and that of gonad yielded two bands one each at 40 and 35kDa. The FTIR analysis of the purified extracts showed peak values aligned as halide, amine, ether and alcohol.