Radix ranunculus temate saponins induces apoptosis via the death receptor and mitochondrial pathways in SGC-7901 cells

adix ranunculus temate saponins (RRTS), one of the main constituents extracted from the popular traditional Chinese medicine Radix Ranunculi ternati, has been reported to have various biological activities including anti-cancer effect. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of RRTS on the cell proliferation and apoptosis in human gastric adenocarcinoma SGC-7901 cells. The data showed that exposure to RRTS for 24 h produced cytotoxic effects on SGC- 7901 cells in a dose-dependent manner (with an IC50 value of 21.22±2.76 μg/mL), which was accompanied by apoptosis induction (from 2.18±0.89% (control) to 63.72±13.16% (100 μg/mL)). Both the extrinsic or death receptor pathway and the intrinsic or mitochondrial pathway were involved in RRTS-induced apoptosis in SGC-7901 cells. Furthermore, apoptotic signaling induced by RRTS was amplified by cross-link between the two pathways via the signal-integrating protein Bid. In conclusion, our findings contribute to better understanding the molecular mechanism of RRTS’ effect on gastric cancer cells and form the basis of the therapeutic development of RRTS in treating gastric cancer in the future.