Sains Malaysiana 51(5)(2022): 1363-1372

http://doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2022-5105-08

Epidermal Mucus of Anabas testudineus as a Promising Source of Antibacterial and Anticancer Agents

(Mukus Epidermis Anabas testudineus sebagai Punca Agen Antibakteria dan Antikanser yang Menggalakkan)

AHMED ABDULKAREEM NAJM¹, HERRYAWAN RYADI EZIWAR DYARI³, BABUL AIRIANAH OTHMAN^2,4, SHARIFAH SAKINAH SYED ALWI⁵, AHMAD AZFARALARRIFF², MUHAMMAD SHAHID¹, SITI AISYAH SANUSI², DOUGLAS LAW^2,6 & SHAZRUL FAZRY^2,4,7,*

¹Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

²Department of Food Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

³Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

⁴Innovative Center for Confectionery Technology (MANIS), Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

⁵Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

⁶Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, INTI International University, Persiaran Perdana BBN Putra Nilai, 71800 Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia

⁷Chini Lake Research Centre, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

Received: 25 November 2020/Accepted: 22 October 2021

ABSTRACT

Anabas testudineus is a sturdy freshwater fish that can live in a polluted environment due to the epidermal mucus (EM) that protects the fish from pathogens or germs. This study explored the functional properties of the EM as a potential antimicrobial and anticancer agent. Inactive Pseudomonas aeruginosa was introduced into fish tanks to stimulate the production of EM. This stimulus significantly increased EM production by more than 100% after 10 days of stimulation, indicating that EM production was influenced by environmental biotic stress. In vitro antibacterial activity tests showed that EM has significant antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (12 ± 0.23 mm) and P. aeruginosa (10 ± 0.13 mm) at the tested concentration of 1000 μg/mL. Further characterisation against cells showed that EM has a cytotoxic effect against human breast cancer (MCF7) and human melanoma (A375.S2) producing an IC₅₀ value of 4.97 ± 0.25 and 6.27 ± 0.17 mg/mL, respectively. In contrast, no cytotoxicity against normal fibroblast skin cells (HS27) was observed. In addition, apoptosis analysis showed that EM could cause DNA fragmentation of cancer cells, while no effect on normal cells was observed. These findings indicated that EM from A. testudineus could be further studied and explored as an anticancer agent.

Keywords: Anabas testudineus; anticancer; antimicrobial peptide; epidermal mucus; mucus secretion

ABSTRAK

Anabas testudineus adalah ikan air tawar yang lasak dan dapat hidup dalam persekitaran yang tercemar kerana mempunyai mukus epidermis (EM) yang melindungi ikan ini daripada patogen atau kuman. Penyelidikan ini mengkaji tentang sifat berfungsi EM sebagai agen antimikrob dan antikanser yang berpotensi. Pseudomonas aeruginosa yang tidak aktif dimasukkan ke dalam tangki ikan untuk merangsang pengeluaran EM. Rangsangan ini meningkatkan pengeluaran EM dengan ketara lebih daripada 100% selepas 10 hari rangsangan yang menunjukkan bahawa pengeluaran EM dipengaruhi oleh tekanan biotik persekitaran. Ujian aktiviti antibakteria secara in vitro menunjukkan bahawa EM mempunyai aktiviti antibakteria terhadap Escherichia coli (12 ± 0.23 mm) dan P. aeruginosa (10 ± 0.13 mm) pada kepekatan 1000 μg/mL. Pencirian lebih lanjut terhadap sel menunjukkan bahawa EM mempunyai kesan sitotoksik terhadap sel barah payudara manusia (MCF7) dan sel melanoma manusia (A375.S2), masing-masing menunjukkan nilai IC₅₀ 4.97 ± 0.25 dan 6.27 ± 0.17 mg/mL. Sebaliknya, tiada kesan toksik terhadap sel kulit fibroblas normal (HS27) yang diperhatikan. Di samping itu, analisis apoptosis menunjukkan bahawa EM dapat menyebabkan fragmentasi DNA bagi sel kanser, tetapi tiada kesan ke atas sel normal yang diperhatikan. Hasil kajian ini menunjukkan bahawa EM daripada A. testudineus boleh dilakukan kajian selanjutnya dan diterokai dengan lebih mendalam sebagai agen antikanser.

Kata kunci: Anabas testudineus; antikanser; mukus epidermis; peptida antimikrob; rembesan mucus

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^*Corresponding author; email: shazrul@ukm.edu.my