Isolation, Cultivation and Phytochemical Profiling of Chlorella Vulgaris with Antioxidant activity and MCF-7 cytotoxicity

Abstract

Chlorella vulgaris is increasingly recognized as a rich source of bioactive metabolites with antioxidant and anticancer properties, yet strain-specific data from Indian coastal isolates remain limited. This study characterized the phytochemical profile, radical scavenging activity, and antiproliferative effects of C. vulgaris (strain APE0015B) isolated from Mumbai coastal waters. The isolate was authenticated, cultivated in BG‑11 medium under controlled laboratory conditions, and scaled up in a bubble‑column photobioreactor and pilot‑scale tank; hot‑water extracts were then subjected to qualitative and quantitative phytochemical analyses, DPPH radical scavenging assays, and MCF‑7 breast cancer cell cytotoxicity testing. Phytochemical screening confirmed carotenoids, polyphenols, flavonoids, tannins, sterols, glycosides, and proteins in the crude extract, which showed moderate DPPH scavenging (IC₅₀ ≈ 120 µg/mL) and cytotoxicity against MCF‑7 cells (IC₅₀ ≈ 95 µg/mL). A purified fraction combination (F_M2) exhibited enhanced bioactivity, with DPPH IC₅₀ of 52 µg/mL and 70.4% inhibition of MCF‑7 cells at 100 µg/mL (IC₅₀ ≈ 58 µg/mL). These results indicate that C. vulgaris APE0015B is a promising, scalable source of antioxidant and anticancer biomolecules, supporting its further development for therapeutic applications.