Cytotoxic Potential, Metabolic Profiling, and Liposomes of Coscinoderma sp. Crude Extract Supported by in silico Analysis

Introduction: Sponge-Coscinoderma sp. (Family: Spongiidae) is a coastal sponge that
possesses a broad variety of natural-products. However, the exact chemical constituents
and cytotoxic activity of the extract are still undefinable.
Methodology: In the present study, the metabolomic profiling of Coscinoderma sp. dere
plicated 20 compounds, utilizing liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass
spectrometry (LC-HRESIMS). Coscinoderma-derived crude extract, before and after encap
sulation within nanosized liposomes, was in vitro screened against hepatic, breast, and
colorectal carcinoma human cell lines (HepG2, MCF-7, and Caco-2, respectively).
Results: The identified metabolites were fit to diverse chemical classes, covering diterpenes,
an indole alkaloid, sesterterpenoid, sterol, and methylherbipoline salt. Comprehensive in
silico experiments predicted several compounds in the sponge-derived extract (eg, com
pounds 1–15) to have an anticancer potential via targeting multiple targets. The crude extract
showed moderate antiproliferative activities towards studied cell lines with IC50 values range
from 10.7 to 12.4 µg/mL. The formulated extract-containing liposomes (size 141±12.3nm,
PDI 0.222, zeta potential 20.8 ± 2.3), significantly enhanced the in vitro anticancer activity of
the entrapped extract (IC50 values ranged from 1.7 to 4.1 µg/mL).
Discussion: Encapsulation of both the hydrophilic and the lipophilic components of the
extract within the lipid-based nanovesicles enhanced the cellular uptake and accessibility of
the entrapped cargo. This study introduces liposomal nano-vesicles as a promising approach
to improve the therapeutic potential of sponge-derived extracts.