Cytotoxic and anti-colorectal tumor effects of sulfated saponins from sea cucumber Holothuria moebii.

Background: Whether sulfated saponins from Holothuria moebii inhibit the proliferation of colorectal cancer cells and have anti-colorectal tumor effects in animal model has not been investigated.
Purpose: To evaluate the cytotoxic and anti-colorectal tumor effects of sulfated saponins from sea cucumber Holothuria moebii.
Method: (1) Column chromatography was used to prepare the total and individual saponins and HPLC was applied to define the components of the total saponins; (2) the activity of the total and individual saponins inhibiting the proliferation of human colorectal cancer cells was determined by SRB assay and the apoptosis induced by the saponins was qualified using cytometric analysis with Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining; and (3) the antitumor effects of the sulfated saponins on colorectal CT-26 tumor-bearing Balb/c mice were tested.
Results: The total and individual sulfated saponins significantly inhibited the proliferation of four different human colorectal cancer cells with IC50 values ranging from 1.04 to 4.08 μM (or 1.46 to 3.24 μg/ml for total saponins) and induced late apoptosis at an early treatment time in cancer cells. The total saponins (120 mg/kg) had antitumor activity in colorectal CT-26 tumor-bearing Balb/c mice.
Conclusion: The sulfated saponins from H. moebii remarkably inhibited the proliferation of different human colorectal cancer cells and had significant anti-colorectal tumor activity in animal model.
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