| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2028199 | Steroids | 2012 | 9 Pages |
Steroidal saponins from Dioscorea zingiberensis Wright (DZW) have shown cytotoxic activity in cancer cells. In this study, we isolated and identified seven steroidal saponins from the rhizomes of DZW: diosgenin, trillin, diosgenin diglucoside, deltonin, zingiberensis saponin (ZS), protodeltonin and parvifloside. Our results showed that these seven compounds inhibited the proliferation of a panel of established human and murine cancer cell lines in vitro. ZS had more cytotoxic effect than the other saponins, even close to doxorubicin on the murine colon carcinoma cell line C26. The proliferation inhibitory effect of ZS was associated with its apoptosis-inducing effect by activation of caspase-3 and caspase-9 and specific proteolytic cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase. Exposure of C26 to ZS also resulted in Bax upregulation and Bcl-2 downregulation. In conclusion, the findings of this study demonstrated that ZS is an effective natural agent for cancer therapy, which may be mediated, in part, by induction of apoptosis, and DZW’s potential as an anticancer agent is worth being further investigated.
Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slideHighlights► We isolated 7 steroidal saponins from the rhizome of Dioscorea zingiberensis Wright. ► They inhibited the proliferation of a panel of cancer cell lines in vitro. ► Zingiberensis saponin (ZS)’s cytotoxic effect close to doxorubicin on C26 cell line. ► ZS inhibits the proliferation of C26 cells by inducing apoptosis. ► Caspase family proteins play an important role in ZS-induced apoptosis.
