Impact and mechanism study of dioscin on biological characteristics of colorectal cancer cells

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a considerable global health issue. Dioscin, a compound found in several medicinal plants, has shown potential anticancer effects.

Aim: To find the relationship between CRC cells (HCT116) and diosgenin and clarified their mechanisms of action.

Methods: CRC cell line HCT116 was cultured by dividing cells into control and dioscin groups (dioscin + Jagged 1 group; Jagged 1 group, 5 μg/mL; and dioscin group, 2.5 μg/mL). The dioscin groups were given different concentrations of dioscin. Cell Counting Kit-8 was chosen for testing cell viability in different groups. Flow cytometry was established to undiscover the apoptosis rate of human liver cancer cell line 11. Real-time PCR as well as Western blot analyses were applied to reveal the expression levels of caspase-3, Notch, and other proteins. Transwell and scratch experiments were conducted to assess cell migration and invasion abilities.

Results: This study indicated that dioscin restricted the growth of HCT116 cells, boosted cell apoptosis, and rose the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio as well as the expression of Caspase-3. Dioscin also inhibited physiological activities, for instance cell migration, and significantly reduced the expression levels of proteins for instance Notch1 (P < 0.05). Dioscin partially reversed the effects of Jagged 1.

Conclusion: Dioscin exerts a certain inhibitory effect on HCT116, and its mechanism of action may be linked, with the inhibition of the Notch1 signaling pathway.