Anticancer and apoptotic effects on cell proliferation of diosgenin isolated from Costus speciosus (Koen.) Sm.
BACKGROUND
Diosgenin, a naturally occurring steroid saponin found abundantly in C. speciosus, is a well-known precursor of various synthetic steroidal drugs that are extensively used in the pharmaceutical industry.


METHODS
The present study was conducted to evaluate the in vitro anticancer and apoptotic effects on cell proliferation of diosgenin isolated from C. speciosus (Koen.) Sm.


RESULTS
The results indicated that the treatment of HepG2 cells with the sample resulted in a cytotoxic effect as concluded from the IC50 value 32.62 μg/ml, while the treatment of HepG2 cells with paclitaxel, a known anti-cancer drug, resulted in an IC50 value of 0.48 μg/ml. The treatment of MCF-7 cells with the tested sample resulted in high inhibition in the cell viability, and resulted in an IC50 value of 11.03 μg/ml, while the treatment of MCF-7 cells with paclitaxel resulted in an IC50 value of 0.61 μg/ml. The levels of DR4 and caspase-3 were significantly increased (P<0.01) in MCF-7 cells treated with the tested sample compared to untreated cells and possessed a similar activity of paclitaxel in DR4 induction but lower induction in caspase-3. On the other hand the treatment of macrophages or lymphocytes with diosgenin (250 μg/ml) resulted in an induction in the cell proliferation up to 3.2-fold and 2.1-fold of control, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The results presented here may suggest that diosgenin isolated from C. speciosus possess anticancer and apoptotic effects on cell proliferation, and therefore, can be used as pharmaceuticals drugs.
Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Aljouf University, Sakaka, P.O. 2014, Saudi Arabia. sadomm2003@yahoo.com.|Microbiology and Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, P.O. 41522, Egypt. sadomm2003@yahoo.com.
Samy
S
Selim
Scientific Chair of YAJ Prophetic Medicine Application, College of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80215, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia. j.prophetmed@gmail.com.
Soad
S
Al Jaouni
D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D029770:Costus / Q000737:chemistry*; D004144:Diosgenin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D004144:Diosgenin