BIOCHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF CUTTLE FISH SEPIA PRABAHARI INK AND ITS BIOACTIVE PROPERTIES IN-VITRO

The present study describes the biochemical, antioxidant and anticancer properties of the crude and melanin free ink of Sepia prabahari which is rich in both organic and inorganic components. The quantitative analysis define the presence of protein (1.16 – 1.49 mg/ml), lipid (0.25 – 1.42 mg/ml), carbohydrates (0.01 – 1.14 mg/ml), ash (0.4 & 0.1%) and moisture (93.33%) content. The native PAGE profile showed distinct bands of protein with molecular weight ranging from 3.5 to 205 kDa. The ink is composed of different amino acids, lipids and sugars which was presented by TLC. The ink revealed good antioxidant activity, thereby lowering or retarding the initiation of lipid oxidation process. The ink was screened for its anticancer activity against human breast adenocarcinoma cell line (MCF 7) and it exhibited a strong cytotoxicity by inhibiting the cell growth. The results of comet assay revealed the DNA damage in the cells treated with ink which is a hallmark of apoptosis. Thus the ink, especially the melanin free ink is known to possess significant antioxidant activity and potent anti-proliferative effect. The present study suggests that the melanin free ink was richer in biochemical properties than the crude ink.