Deltonin, a steroidal saponin, inhibits colon cancer cell growth in vitro and tumor growth in vivo via induction of apoptosis and antiangiogenesis.

Deltonin, a steroidal saponin, isolated from Dioscorea zingiberensis Wright (DZW), has shown high-cytotoxic activity in cancer cells. However, its mechanisms and in vivo anti-cancer effects remain unknown. In the present study, we evaluated the effects and explored the anti-tumor mechanisms of deltonin on a panel of colon cancer cell lines and in a mouse model of murine colon cancer C26. Deltonin had more cytotoxic effect on C26 cells than 5-fluorouracil had, promoting dramatic G2-M phase arrest and apoptosis in C26 cells in a concentration-dependent manner; oral administration of deltonin significantly inhibited the tumor growth and prolonged survival of the tumor bearing mice. The deltonin treatment caused a noticeable apoptosis in tumor tissue, which associated with increased levels of Bax, activated caspase-3, caspase-9, and cleaved poly (ADPribose) polymerase, decreased pro-caspase-8, pro-caspase-9, Bcl-2 expression levels and extracellular signal-regulated kinase-1/2 activity; and dose-dependently inhibit angiogenesis. In conclusion, the findings in this study demonstrated that deltonin is an effective natural agent for cancer therapy, which may be mediated, in part, by induction of apoptosis, as well as involve mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways, and inhibition of angiogenesis.

Tong QY ，Qing Y ，Shu D ，He Y ，Zhao YL ，Li Y ，Wang ZL ，Zhang SY ，Xing ZH ，Xu C ，Wei YQ ，Huang W ，Wu XH ... -  《-》

Deltonin isolated from Dioscorea zingiberensis inhibits cancer cell growth through inducing mitochondrial apoptosis and suppressing Akt and mitogen activated protein kinase signals.

Shu D ，Qing Y ，Tong Q ，He Y ，Xing Z ，Zhao Y ，Li Y ，Wei Y ，Huang W ，Wu X ... -  《-》

Deltonin induces apoptosis in MDA‑MB‑231 human breast cancer cells via reactive oxygen species‑mediated mitochondrial dysfunction and ERK/AKT signaling pathways.

Zhang S ，He Y ，Tong Q ，Chen Q ，Wu X ，Huang W ... -  《-》

Cytotoxicity and apoptosis-inducing effect of steroidal saponins from Dioscorea zingiberensis Wright against cancer cells.

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.

Tong QY ，He Y ，Zhao QB ，Qing Y ，Huang W ，Wu XH ... -  《-》

Hydroquinone analog 4-[(Tetrahydro-2H-pyran-2‑yl) oxy] phenol induces C26 colon cancer cell apoptosis and inhibits tumor growth in vivo.

Du Q ，Xin G ，Niu H ，Huang W ... -  《-》