A naturally occuring triterpene saponin ardisiacrispin B displayed cytotoxic effects in multi-factorial drug resistant cancer cells via ferroptotic and apoptotic cell death

Naturally occuring oleanane-type tritepene saponin, ardisiacrispin B displayed significant cytotoxic effects in the 9 tested cancer cell lines with IC50 values below 10 µM. The IC50 values ranges were 1.20 µM (towards leukemia CCRF-CEM cells) to 6.76 µM [against heptocarcinoma HepG2 cells]. This compound induced apoptosis in CCRF-CEM cells via activation of inititator caspases 8 and 9 and effector caspase 3/7, alteration of MMP and increase in ROS production. Ferroptosis also contributed to its cytotoxicity.81