Chemical Characterization of Bioactive Compounds in Extracts and Fractions from Litopenaeus vannamei Muscle

Marine organisms are a vital source of biologically active compounds. Organic extracts from the muscle of the Pacific white shrimp (<i>L. vannamei</i>) have shown antiproliferative effects on tumor cells, including breast adenocarcinoma. This study aimed to analyze these extracts' composition and confirm their specificity for breast adenocarcinoma cells without harming normal cells. An organic chloroform extract from <i>L. vannamei</i> muscle was divided using a solvent partition procedure with methanol and hexane. The methanolic partition was fractionated through an open preparative liquid chromatography column to isolate compounds with biological activity, that were later tested on MDA-MB-231 (breast adenocarcinoma), and recently tested on MCF10-A (non-cancerous breast epithelial cells). Cells incubated with these fractions were assessed for viability and morphological changes using fluorescence confocal microscopy. Fractions F#13 and F#14 reduced MDA-MB-231 cancer cell viability at 100 µg/mL without affecting non-cancerous MCF-10A cells, inducing apoptosis-related changes in cancer cells. These fractions contained EPA and DHA free fatty acids, specifically F#13 contained free and esterified astaxanthin as well. The high levels of free linoleic acid 18:2 ω-6, EPA, and DHA (in a 2:1 ratio, EPA:DHA), along with free and esterified astaxanthin in F#13, significantly reduced breast adenocarcinoma cell viability, nearly to that achieved by cisplatin, a chemotherapy drug.