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Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile is an endemic Mediterranean marine plant of extreme ecological importance. Previous in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated the potential antidiabetic properties of P. oceanica leaf extract. Intestinal glucose transporters play a key role in glucose homeostasis and represent novel targets for the management of diabetes. In this study, the ability of a hydroalcoholic P. oceanica leaf extract (POE) to modulate intestinal glucose transporters was investigated using Caco-2 cells as a model of an intestinal barrier. The incubation of cells with POE significantly decreased glucose uptake by decreasing the GLUT2 glucose transporter levels. Moreover, POE had a positive effect on the barrier integrity by increasing the Zonulin-1 levels. A protective effect exerted by POE against oxidative stress induced by chronic exposure to high glucose concentrations or tert-butyl hydroperoxide was also demonstrated. This study highlights for the first time the effect of POE on glucose transport, intestinal barrier integrity, and its protective antioxidant effect in Caco-2 cells. These findings suggest that the P. oceanica phytocomplex may have a positive impact by preventing the intestinal cell dysfunction involved in the development of inflammation-related disease associated with oxidative stress.

Metastasis is responsible for the bad prognosis in cancer patients. Advances in research on metastasis prevention focus attention on the molecular mechanisms underlying cancer cell motility and invasion to improve therapies for long-term survival in cancer patients. The so-called "migrastatics" could help block cancer cell invasion and lead to the rapid development of antimetastatic therapies, improving conventional cancer therapies. In the relentless search for migrastatics, the marine environment represents an important source of natural compounds due to its enormous biodiversity. Thus, this review is a selection of scientific research that has pointed out in a broad spectrum of in vitro and in vivo models the anti-cancer power of marine-derived products against cancer cell migration and invasion over the past five years. Overall, this review might provide a useful up-to-date guide about marine-derived compounds with potential interest for pharmaceutical and scientific research on antimetastatic drug endpoints.

Neuroblastoma (NB) is a common cancer in childhood, and lethal in its high-risk form, primarily because of its high metastatic potential. Targeting cancer cell migration, and thus preventing metastasis formation, is the rationale for more effective cancer therapy against NB. Previous studies have described the leaf extract from Posidonia oceanica marine plant (POE) as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory agent and inhibitor of cancer cell migration. This study aims to examine the POE anti-migratory role in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells and the underlying mechanisms of action. Wound healing and gelatin zymography assays showed that POE at early times inhibits cell migration and reduces pro-MMP-2 release into culture medium. By monitoring expression level of key autophagy markers by Western blot assay, a correlation between POE-induced cell migration inhibition and autophagy activation was demonstrated. Cell morphology and immunofluorescence analyses showed that POE induces neurite formation and neuronal differentiation at later times. These results suggest POE might act against cell migration by triggering early nontoxic autophagy. The POE-induced cellular morphological change toward cell differentiation might contribute to prolonging the phytocomplex anti-migratory effect to later times. Overall, these results encourage future in vivo studies to test POE applicability in neuroblastoma treatment.

Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile is a Mediterranean-endemic angiosperm often described for its great ecological importance. Despite evidence of a millennia-old relationship between P. oceanica and humans, as well as traditional medicine applications, the potential benefits of P. oceanica for human health have been documented only recently. This review aims to compile newly acquired knowledge on P. oceanica bioactive properties that allow the scientific community to look at this plant as a promising source of natural therapeutical products for human health. Experimental investigations conducted in both in vitro cellular-based and in vivo animal models pave the way for new research projects aiming at the development of alternative and complementary therapeutic strategies based on P. oceanica against a wide range of pathological conditions.

Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile is traditionally used for its beneficial properties. Recently, promising antioxidant and anti-inflammatory biological properties emerged through studying the in vitro activity of the ethanolic leaves extract (POE). The present study aims to investigate the anti-inflammatory and analgesic role of POE in mice. Inflammatory pain was modeled in CD-1 mice by the intraplantar injection of carrageenan, interleukin IL-1β and formalin. Pain threshold was measured by von Frey and paw pressure tests. Nociceptive pain was studied by the hot-plate test. POE (10-100 mg kg -1 ) was administered per os. The paw soft tissue of carrageenan-treated animals was analyzed to measure anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. POE exerted a dose-dependent, acute anti-inflammatory effect able to counteract carrageenan-induced pain and paw oedema. Similar anti-hyperalgesic and anti-allodynic results were obtained when inflammation was induced by IL-1β. In the formalin test, the pre-treatment with POE significantly reduced the nocifensive behavior. Moreover, POE was able to evoke an analgesic effect in naïve animals. Ex vivo, POE reduced the myeloperoxidase activity as well as TNF-α and IL-1β levels; further antioxidant properties were highlighted as a reduction in NO concentration. POE is the candidate for a new valid strategy against inflammation and pain.

Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile is a marine plant with interesting biological properties potentially ascribed to the synergistic combination of bioactive compounds. Our previously described extract, obtained from the leaves of P. oceanica , showed the ability to impair HT1080 cell migration by targeting both expression and activity of gelatinases. Commonly, the lack of knowledge about the mechanism of action of phytocomplexes may be an obstacle regarding their therapeutic use and development. The aim of this study was to gain insight into the molecular signaling through which such bioactive compounds impact on malignant cell migration and gelatinolytic activity. The increase in autophagic vacuoles detected by confocal microscopy suggested an enhancement of autophagy in a time and dose dependent manner. This autophagy activation was further confirmed by monitoring pivotal markers of autophagy signaling as well as by evidencing an increase in IGF-1R accumulation on cell membranes. Taken together, our results confirm that the P. oceanica phytocomplex is a promising reservoir of potent and cell safe molecules able to defend against malignancies and other diseases in which gelatinases play a major role in progression. In conclusion, the attractive properties of this phytocomplex may be of industrial interest in regard to the development of novel health-promoting and pharmacological products for the treatment or prevention of several diseases.