Identification of anticancer proteins from Malaysian Bungarus fasciatus and Bungarus candidus venoms using brain tumour cells

This study aims to purify and identify potential bioactive proteins exhibiting anticancer activities from Malaysian Bungarus fasciatus and Bungarus candidus venoms using human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma and U-87MG glioblastoma cells. Bioassay-guided fractionation was performed on both venoms using size-exclusion and reverse-phase chromatography. Neurotoxin-3FTX-LK and B-BuTX-A-AL2 were isolated from BF and BC venoms, respectively, and tested for anticancer activities. Ntx-3FTX-LK and B-BuTX-A-AL2 had demonstrated cytotoxicity and antiproliferative effects in concentration- and time-dependent manner, and induced caspase-3 time-dependent apoptosis in both cells. Protein expression profiles and brain tumour-related pathways revealed the association in cellular-metabolic process, transcriptional-translational protein synthesis, apoptosis, and immune response signaling.