Anti- Cancer Potential of Diosgenin, a Steroidal Saponin, against Human Oral Cancer Cells.

Abstract

Objective: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), affecting the lip and oral cavity, is one of the most prevalent cancers worldwide with the highest morbidity rate in the North-Eastern region of India. The current treatment options including surgery and chemotherapy are plagued by adverse side-effects and emergence of chemo-resistance, particularly against drugs like cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil. The present study focuses on demonstrating the effects of diosgenin, a naturally occurring steroidal saponin, on the survival, proliferation, and migration of OSCC cells in vitro.

Methods: Preliminary in vitro screening of diosgenin in OSCC cells was performed using MTT, colony formation, cell cycle arrest, PI-FACS, live/dead, and wound-healing assays. In addition, the potential of diosgenin in regulating the expression of critical proteins involved in OSCC was evaluated using western blot analysis.

Result: The present study shows that diosgenin exhibited selective anti-proliferative activity on OSCC cell lines SAS and HSC3 compared to normal kidney cell line HEK-293T. In addition, it enhances the chemosensitivity of SAS cells to cisplatin and 5-FU. This compound also displayed anti-clonogenic, cell cycle arrest, cytotoxic, and anti-migratory effects on SAS cells in a dose-dependent manner. Further, diosgenin regulated the expressions of COX-2, CXCR-4, VEGF, TWIST-1, p-AKT, and AKT, which are critical proteins for the development and progression of OSCC.

Conclusion: These findings support the therapeutic potential of diosgenin, thereby opening a new avenue for oral cancer therapy. Nonetheless, the data needs to be further validated in in vivo and clinical settings.