Dioscorea nipponica Makino inhibits migration and invasion of human oral cancer HSC-3 cells by transcriptional inhibition of matrix metalloproteinase-2 through modulation of CREB and AP-1 activity

► Dioscorea nipponica Makino, a popular folk medicine, exerts anti-inflammation properties. ► DNE inhibited migration/invasion capacities of human oral cancer cells, HSC-3. ► DNE inhibited matrix metalloproteinase-2 enzyme activity, and RNA and protein expression. ► DNE inhibited nuclear translocation and DNA binding activity of CREBand AP-1 on the MMP-2 promoter. ► DNE may have potential use as a chemopreventive agent against oral cancer metastasis.