Bigelovii A induces apoptosis of HL‑60 human acute promyelocytic leukaemia cells.

In the present study, the antitumor effects of the nor‑Oleanane type triterpene saponin, Bigelovii A, isolated from Salicornia bigelovii Torr, were examined. Bigelovii A was demonstrated to inhibit HL‑60 human acute promyelocytic leukaemia cell growth with an IC50 value of 2.15 µg/ml. In addition, Bigelovii A promoted apoptosis in HL‑60 cells, as shown by apoptotic morphological changes and the hypodiploid cell assay. Apoptotic induction by Bigelovii A was associated with the downregulation of Bcl‑2, the upregulation of Bax and the activation of caspase‑3, as demonstrated by RT‑PCR and western blot analysis. In addition, a lactate dehydrogenase release test indicated that Bigelovii A may exhibit cytotoxic activity by the induction of cell membrane impairment. This study is the first to identify that Bigelovii A exhibits potential antitumor activity and induces marked apoptosis and membrane permeabilisation in HL‑60 cells. Bigelovii A may be a novel candidate for future cancer therapy.