Effect of Stevioside on Apoptotic and Tumor Suppressor Proteins in Skin Cancer Cells

Abstract

Background: Phytochemicals play a prominent role as cancer preventive agents. Stevioside is natural sweetener and contains phytochemicals including well characterized glycosides which is isolated from Stevia rebaudiana and is known for its medicinal properties including prevention against cancer.

Aim: The present work intended to explore the anticancer activity of Stevioside on Bcl-2 family protein and p53 expression in human skin cancer cell line. Cell culture and treatment: A-431 cell line was purchased from the Na-tional Centre for Cell Sciences, Pune, India, and cultured in Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle’s Medium supplemented with fetal bovine serum, penicillin G, and streptomycin. The cells were placed in 5% CO2 incubator and the further experiments were started after the confluency stage was attained. The cells were incubated at 37°C with the various doses of Stevioside (10, 25, 50, and 100μg/ml) in a CO2 incubator to find out the inhibitory concentration of IC50.

Results: Control cells showed a significant increase in the levels of Bcl-2, p-Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL whereas decreased in the levels of p53 at the doses of 50 and 100µg. Stevioside treatment reduced the antiapoptotic proteins and in-creased the tumor suppressor proteins significantly.

Conclusion: The anticancer potential of the Stevioside is mediated through the controlling of apoptotic signaling molecules. Hence, this study concludes that Stevioside can be used as anticancer drug for the treatment of skin cancer. Further studies on the molecular mechanisms of the action of Stevioside are warranted to ascertain its po-tential.