Table 1.
The anti-cancer effects of steroidal saponins in vitro. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values are a reliable measure of the potency of steroidal saponins and their interference with cancer hallmark pathways. The IC50 values in Table 1 correspond to an exposure time of 24 h *, 48 h †, 72 h ‡ or mean ± SD.
| Compound | Source | Cells | IC50 | Targeted Hallmark of Cancer | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A-24 | Allium chinense | SGC-7901, AGS, MGC-803, NCI-N87, BGC-823, and KATO-III |
3.03 * µM (SGC-7901), 2.18 * µM (AGS), 4.10 * µM (MGC-803), 4.53 * µM (NCI-N87), and 5.11 * µM (BGC-823). |
Resisting Cell Death, Evading Growth Suppressors, Activating Tumor Invasion and Metastasis | [20,21] |
| Aspiletrein A | Aspidistra letreae | LU-1, HeLa, MDA-MB-231, HepG2, MKN-7, H460, H23 and A549 |
9.94 ‡ µM (LU-1), 7.69 ‡ µM (HeLa), 7.75 ‡ µM (MDA-MB-231), 9.19 ‡ µM (HepG2), 9.39 ‡ µM (MKN-7), 15.13 * µM (H460), 10.10 * µM (H23), and 8.78 * µM (A549) |
Sustaining Proliferative Signaling, Activating Invasion and Metastasis, Resisting Cell Death | [22,23,24] |
| Aspiletrein B | Aspidistra letreae | LU-1, HeLa, MDA-MB-231, HepG2, MKN-7, and H460 |
20.27 ‡ µM (LU-1), 12.54 ‡ µM (HeLa), 20.46 ‡ µM (MDA-MB-231), 16.07 ‡ µM (HepG2), 18.15 ‡ µM (MKN-7), and 6.82 * µM (H460) |
Sustaining Proliferative Signaling | [23,24] |
| Aspiletrein C | Aspidistra letreae | LU-1, HeLa, MDA-MB-231, HepG2, MKN-7, and H460 |
10.10 ‡ µM (LU-1), 9.03 ‡ µM (HeLa), 9.09 ‡ µM (MDA-MB-231), 8.84 ‡ µM (HepG2), 11.82 ‡ µM (MKN-7), and 15.75 * µM (H460) |
Sustaining Proliferative Signaling | [23,24] |
| Bufalin | Bufo gargarizans | U251, SK-N-BE, SH-SY5Y, A549, GBC-SD |
90 ‡ nM (SK-N-BE) and 30 ‡ nM (SH-SY5Y) |
Resisting Cell Death, Activating Invasion and Metastasis | [25,26,27] |
| Dioscin |
Dioscorea zingiberensis
and Dioscorea nipponica |
HUVEC, A375, G361, and WM115 |
- | Tumor Promoting Inflammation, Resisting Cell Death, and Deregulating Cellular Energetics | [28,29] |
| Diosgenin | Prunus dulcis, Trigonella foenum-graecum, Dioscorea villosa, and Dioscorea japonica | SW480, DU145, LnCaP, T98G, C6, and A549 |
47 * µM (A549) | Sustaining Proliferative Signaling, Resisting Cell Death, Activating Invasion and Metastasis, Inducing Angiogenesis, Enabling Replicative Immortality, and Tumor Promoting Inflammation | [30,31,32,33,34,35,36] |
| Diosgenin-3-O-β-D-fructofuranosyl-(1→6)-[α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)]-β-D-glucopyranoside | Paris polyphylla | LN229, U251, Capan-2, HeLa, and HepG2 |
4.18 * µM (LN229), 3.85 * µM (U251), 3.26 * µM (Capan-2), 3.30 * µM (HeLa), and 4.32 * µM (HepG2) |
Sustaining Proliferative Signaling and Resisting Cell Death | [37] |
| Gracillin | Pairs polyphylla, Dioscorea villosa, Aconitum carmichaeli, Solanum incanum, and Solanum virginianum | MDA-MB-231, MCF7, H460, H226B, T47D, MDA-MB-453, and A549 |
2.421 * μmol/L. (A549) | Deregulating Cellular Energetics and Resisting Cell Death | [38,39] |
| Paris Saponin I | Paris polyphylla | HUVEC and PC-9-ZD | 0.643 † µM (HUVEC) and 2.51 * µM (PC-9-ZD) |
Resisting Cell Death, Inducing Angiogenesis, Activating Invasion and Metastasis | [40] |
| Paris Saponin II | Paris polyphylla | HUVEC and PC-9-ZD | 0.994 † µM (HUVEC) and 3.12 * µM (PC-9-ZD) |
Resisting Cell Death, Inducing Angiogenesis, Activating Invasion and Metastasis | [40] |
| Paris Saponin VI | Paris polyphylla | HUVEC and PC-9-ZD | 2.204 † µM (HUVEC) and 4.21 * µM (PC-9-ZD) |
Resisting Cell Death, Inducing Angiogenesis, Activating Invasion and Metastasis | [40] |
| Paris Saponin VII | Paris polyphylla | MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-436, MCF-7, HUVEC, and PC-9-ZD |
3.16 * µM (MDA-MB-231), 3.45 * µM (MDA-MB-436), 2.86 * µM (MCF-7), 6.212 † µM (HUVEC), and 3.57 * µM (PC-9-ZD) |
Resisting Cell Death, Inducing Angiogenesis, Activating Invasion and Metastasis | [40,41] |
| PP9 | Paris polyphylla | HT-29 and HCT116 | 1.08 † µM (HT-29) and 1.97 † µM (HCT116) |
Resisting Cell Death, Evading Growth Suppressors | [42] |
| Protodioscin | Dioscorea villosa, Trigonella foenum-graecum, and Asparagus officinalis | 5637 and T24 cells | 72.6 * µM (5637) and 63.4 * µM (T24) |
Resisting Cell Death, Activating Invasion and Metastasis | [43] |
| Schizocapsa Plantaginea Hance I (SSPH I) | Tacca plantaginea | HepG2 | 3.395 * µM | Resisting Cell Death | [44] |
| Taccaoside A | Tacca plantaginea and Tacca subflabellata | H1299, MHCC97H, BT549, SW620, and HUVEC |
- | Avoiding Immune Destruction | [45] |
| Timosaponin AIII | Anemarrhena asphodeloides | H1266 and A549 | 1.55 † µM (H1266) and 2.16 † µM (A549) |
Resisting Cell Death, Activating Invasion and Metastasis | [46] |
| Trillin | Trillium tschonoskii | HepG2 and PLC/PRF | - | Resisting Cell Death, Activating Invasion and Metastasis | [47] |
| Trilliumoside A | Trillium govanianum | A549 and SW-620 | 1.83 † µM (A-549) and 1.85 † µM (SW-620) |
Resisting Cell Death, Activating Invasion and Metastasis | [48] |
| Trilliumoside B | Trillium govanianum | A549 and SW-620 | 1.79 † µM (A-549) and 3.18 † µM (SW-620) |
Resisting Cell Death, Activating Invasion and Metastasis | [48] |
| Polyphyllin II | Paris polyphylla | HepG2, BEL7402, T24, and 5637 |
4.8351 * μM (HepG2), 4.4765 * μM (BEL7402), 4.43 ± 0.08 µg/mL (T24), and 7.87 ± 0.39 µg/mL (5637) |
Resisting Cell Death, Activating Invasion and Metastasis | [49,50] |
| Polyphyllin E | Paris polyphylla | SK-OV-3 and OVCAR-3 | 7.462 * µM (SK-OV-3) and 5.053 * µM (OVCAR-3) | Resisting Cell Death, Activating Invasion and Metastasis | [51] |
| Cholestanol Glucoside (CG) | Lasiodiplodia theobromae | A549, PC3, HepG2, U251, MCF7, and OVCAR3 |
- | Resisting Cell Death | [52] |
| Polyphyllin VII | Paris polyphylla | A549 | 0.41 * µM | Resisting Cell Death | [53] |
| S-20 | Solanum americanum | K562, K562/ADR, HL-60, and U937 |
8.35 µM ± 0.57 (K562), 10.74 µM ± 0.92 (K562/ADR), 22.14 µM ± 0.54 (HL-60), and 29.52 µM ± 1.99 (U937) |
Evading Growth Suppressors and Resisting Cell Death | [54] |
| Polyphyllin B | Paris polyphylla | NUGC-3, MKN-1, MKN-45, HGC-27, and NUGC-4 |
1.447 * µM (NUGC-3), 2.734 * µM (MKN-1), 3.378 * µM (MKN-45), 3.318 * µM (HGC-27), and 2.579 * µM (NUGC-4) |
Activating Invasion and Metastasis, Resisting Cell Death, and Evading Growth Suppressors | [55] |
| Polyphyllin III | Paris polyphylla | MDA-MB-231, HS-578T, HBL-100, MCF-7, and T47D |
7.96 * µM (MDA-MB-231), 2.59 * µM (HS-578T), 7.74 * µM (HBL-100), 3.89 * µM (MCF-7), and 9.85 * µM (T47D) |
Resisting Cell Death | [56] |
| Polyphyllin D | Paris polyphylla | IMR-32, LA-N-2, and NB-69 |
25 * µM (IMR-32), 20 * µM (LA-N-2), and 5 * µM (NB-69) |
Resisting Cell Death | [57] |
| Polyphyllin I | Paris polyphylla | SGC7901/DDP, SGC7901, 143-B, HOS, DU145, and PC3 |
2.48 * μM (SGC7901), 0.93 * μM (SGC7901/DDP), 0.3942 † µM (143-B), 0.8145 † µM (HOS), 1.03 * µM (DU145), and 2.13 * μM (PC3) |
Resisting Cell Death, Activating Invasion and Metastasis | [58,59,60] |
| Pennogenin-3α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→4)-[α-Lrhamno-pyranosyl-(1→2)]-β-D-glucopyranoside (N45) | Paris vietnamensis | U251 and U87 | 3.808 * μg/mL (U251) and 3.39 * (U87) μg/mL |
Resisting Cell Death | [61] |
| Oleandrin | Nerium oleander | A549, SW480, HCT116, RKO, A375, GL261, U87MG, MCF7, SK-BR-3, and MDA-MB-231 |
47 † nM (A375), 6.07 † nM (MCF7), 1.42 † nM (SK-BR-3), and 11.47 † nM (MDA-MB-231) |
Resisting Cell Death | [62,63,64,65,66] |
| Terrestrosin D | Tribulus terrestris | HUVEC and PC-3 | - | Resisting Cell Death, Evading Growth Suppressors, and Inducing Angiogenesis | [67] |