Cytotoxic and Antitumoral Effects of Bikaverin from Gibberella fujikuroi on L5178Y Lymphoma Murine Model

In this work, bikaverin was isolated from the mycelium of Gibberella fujikuroi and characterized using 1D (1H and 13C) and 2D (HSQC and HMBC) NMR spectroscopy. Its cytotoxic effect on L5178Y lymphoma cells and antitumor effect on BALB/c mice inoculated with L5178Y cells were evaluated. According to the results, bikaverin showed cytotoxic effect against L5178Y lymphoma cells with an IC50 value of 0.23 μg/mL.The tumor evolution, with and without treatment, was observed in the in vivo study; the group without treatment showed 1,280±128 x 105 cells/mL in ascites volume, and the groups treated with bikaverin at the dose of 1.73 mg/kg/day by intraperitoneal (i.p.) and oral administration, decreased significantly the cell density, and showed 391.5±237 x 105 cells/mL and 580±208 x 105 cells/mL, respectively. The results confirm the cytotoxic effect of bikaverin on cancer cell lines and contribute to show the potential of bikaverin as antitumoral compound in BALB/c mice inoculated with L5178Y lymphoma cells.