Efeitos citotóxicos e antiproliferativos do veneno bruto das lagartas Automeris illustris e Dirphia moderata (Saturniidae)

Abstract

The crude venom of caterpillars from the Saturniidae family has aroused great interest due to its therapeutic potential. This study evaluated the cytotoxic, antitumor and antiparasitic activities of the crude venom of Automeris illustris and Dirphia moderata in vitro. The venom proteins were identified by electrophoresis, and the cytotoxic effects were analyzed in bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM) and human foreskin fibroblasts (HFF). Antitumor activity was evaluated in prostate adenocarcinoma (PC3), lung carcinoma (A549), breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) and murine melanoma (B16-F10) cell lines using cell viability assay (MTT) and clonogenic assay. The results showed that A. illustris venom had no cytotoxic, antitumor or antiparasitic activity at any of the concentrations tested. D. moderata venom showed a moderate cytotoxic effect on BMDM and a mild one on HFF, with a dose-dependent antitumor effect, with PC3 cells being the most sensitive, followed by B16-F10 melanoma cells, which showed greater sensitivity at 24 hours and 48 hours, while A549 and MCF-7 cells were less sensitive at 24 hours, but highly sensitive at 48 hours. In the antiparasitic tests against Toxoplasma gondii, both in the pre-treatment of tachyzoites and in the post-infection treatment, the venom of D. moderata significantly reduced the infectivity of the parasite. These findings indicate that D. moderata venom is a promising source of bioactive compounds, which encourages further molecular and pharmacological investigations.