Agroaldea
It confirms the value of seaweeds the Macaronesia as a source of bioactive natural compounds against certain types of tumors.
The transnational research project Algabiomac He has discovered new anti-tumor therapeutic potential as possible in micro and macro algae in the marine habitat of the archipelagos of the Canary Islands, Madeira and Cape Verde, as it is clear from the results of field and laboratory activity developed by the consortium in the biennium 2014-2015.
Work done in the past 24 months by members of the working team led by Canary Foundation Institute for Cancer Research (ICIC), endorses the value of seaweed as Macaronesia source of bioactive natural compounds against certain types of tumors and opens the door, thus, to industrial and large-scale sustainable exploitation.
Under the financial umbrella of the European Union, and through transnational cooperation program MAC 2007-2013, Algabiomac was developed with the participation of its four partners: ICIC himself as team leader, the Instituto Tecnologico de Canarias (ITC), the Association of Atlantic Scientific Research (AICA) and the Municipal Chamber of the island of Maio (Cape Verde).
Like this, AICA (Madeira) He offered their potential for extracting samples using green technologies, such as supercritical CO2 extraction.
El ITC, with its biotechnology capacity, he made the microalgae cultures with attractive and potential, as well as harvesting macroalgae, both in the marine environment as taken from arribazones arrived to the beaches.
On the other hand, Cape Verdean partner offered its biodiversity for the study of samples taken at that location. Finally ICIC handled the bioassays of the samples obtained.
During this time he got the study 14 species of algae (4 macroalgas y 10 microalgae) who underwent different extraction methods to total 98 samples.
[quote]Although substances with antibiotic properties were searched in all cases, fungicides and anti-tumor, It is in this last field where they have found the most attractive results.[/quote]
Like this, in 13 Anticancer testing samples it found "attractive inhibitory activity with IC50 values lower, eliminating concentration 50 percent of the cell population for lung tumors, mama, prostate or colon”, points out Dr. Rafael Zárate Méndez tinerfeño, project manager.
In addition, In all these extracts, product concentration required to inhibit growth of non-tumor cell line Vero was two to three times greater, It is indicating a clear selectivity of the sample as affected more effectiveness and accuracy cancer cells, leaving intact (at concentrations effective against tumor line) normal cells.
"This demonstrates an improved ability to discriminate between cancer cells and normal cells of the samples", adds Zárate. Scientific and canary researcher is optimistic in the light of the findings of the team of Algabiomac. In your opinion, "These initial results suggest that cytotoxicity algae species were obtained which could be considered as potential sources for new cancer therapies”.
"Nevertheless, more research is needed, since these are the first results and developments are needed, although these seem to be pointing in the right direction ", accurate Zárate, for whom Algabiomac is confirmation that the plant Marine Environment the islands of Macaronesia (Canary Islands, Azores, Madeira and Cape Verde) It has an "enormous wealth" as food and therapeutic source, as well as its extensive biodiversity waiting to be explored.
In this sense, It draws attention to the need for projects like Algabiomac have its continuation "to new lines of work that will confirm our initial findings correspond with future production of antitumor drugs". And in this case, need, "With sustainable technologies such as supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) through the use of CO2 ", as it has been carried out in this project partner AICA.
Professor Zarate argues that demonstrated the huge potential and commercial value of algae as natural matrices sparsely exploited in our region, with current techniques, allow exploitation without harming the natural habitat. "We must realize that we are at the gates can be established in the Canaries and the rest of the Macaronesia an industry pioneer with high added value and almost no environmental impact".
Zárate ended up sending a very clear message to society: "The biodiversity of these island territories beyond a postcard for tourists".
On the other hand, Miguel Tavares lamented that "the lack of logistical infrastructure is killing companies interested. We have a problem of bureaucracy. We need to give companies working conditions. It can not be that we arrive before a shipment of Madeira partner of Australia that a shipment of a partner Canarias ".
In this point, Francisco Almeida committed from his position Vice Chancellor to raise this complaint to the administration. Moreover complaint was shared by the other members of the display table, as well as teachers and researchers in the room.
Finally, Eduardo Portillo spoke "not only the therapeutic value of the study presented, but facing a future it could encourage the creation of companies that benefit from these advances in other fields, especially in the food ".
The Algabiomac project has been funded with FEDER funds under the PCT-MAC program 2007-2013 (3second call), within Axis Cooperation with third countries and the wider neighborhood joint, and the type of project cooperation in research and development.
Among its aims, the project aimed Algabiomac create transregional and transnational networks development in the biotechnology sector to promote and facilitate scientific and technological transfer between companies, thus reinforcing the research system, technology and innovation, both regionally and internationally.
The geographical scope of intervention Algabiomac project included the autonomous regions of Madeira (Portugal), Canary Islands (Spain), and under the specific axis of this call, the archipelago of Cape Verde, as neighboring third country, including all the islands that make up these three regions of Macaronesia.