Deoxyelephantopin from Elephantopus scaber L. induces cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis in the human nasopharyngeal cancer CNE cells

► Deoxyelephantopin (ESD) inhibited cell proliferation in the human nasopharyngeal cancer CNE cells. ► ESD induced cell cycle arrest in S and G2/M phases via modulation of cell cycle regulatory proteins. ► ESD triggered apoptosis by dysfunction of mitochondria and induction of both intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic signaling pathways. ► ESD also triggered Akt, ERK, and JNK signaling pathways.