Diosgenin exhibits beneficial efficiency on human mammary carcinoma cell line MCF-7 and against N-nitroso-N-methylurea (NMU) induced experimental mammary carcinoma

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the impact of diosgenin on the human mammary carcinoma cell line (MCF-7) and to investigate its therapeutic potential against NMU-induced experimental breast cancer. Mammary carcinoma cells were treated with different concentrations of diosgenin and its cytotoxicity effect was measured by MTT method, lactate dehydrogenase leakage and by estimating GSH assays. N-nitroso-N-methylurea (NMU) is a highly reliable carcinogen, mutagen and teratogen used in the present study to promote breast carcinogenesis in experimental rats. In in vitro studies, diosgenin significantly inhibited the proliferation of MCF-7 cells in a dose-dependent manner and the depletion of GSH and an increase of LDH activity were observed in MCF-7 cells due to cytotoxic nature of the drug. Elevated lipid peroxidation in NMU-induced breast cancer-bearing animals were drim down (P < 0.05) due to management with steroidal diosgenin. The altered lysosomal enzymes were neutralised by diosgenin and also, it protects macromolecular damage from oxidative stress and free fadicals production due to its antioxidant activity. From the results of our present analysis, it gives an idea about that diosgenin may be used as a chemoprotective agent against human mammary carcinoma.