Anticancer activity of (fenugreek) seed extract by inducing apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cell.

[BACKGROUND/AIM] Pancreatic cancer exhibits resistance to currently available drugs in the pharmaceutical industry. The development of new drugs is crucial, and research on plant substances with biological activities against cancer is actively underway. This study explored the potential use of fenugreek seed extract (FSE) in pancreatic cancer treatment as the anticancer activity of FSE is still poorly understood.

[MATERIALS AND METHODS] The anticancer activity of FSE on pancreatic cancer cells was evaluated using cell viability and apoptosis assays. The migration rate of cancer cells was quantified using wound healing and Transwell migration assays. Western blotting was utilized to assess relevant signaling pathways, and LC-MS/MS was employed to detect the active compounds in FSE.

[RESULTS] FSE inhibited the proliferation of pancreatic cancer cell lines (Panc-1, Miapaca-2, SNU-213, and Aspc-1) in a time and dose-dependent manner without greatly affecting normal cells (293T). The inhibition of cancer cell proliferation was attributed to the activation of cleaved caspase-3 and Bax, a pro-apoptotic marker. The anticancer effects and inhibition of cell migration were mediated by the MAPK, Akt, MMP-9, and vimentin signaling pathways through inactivation of the phosphorylated proteins related to cell growth, differentiation, and migration. LC-MS/MS analysis detected various active compounds capable of inducing apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells.

[CONCLUSION] We demonstrated that FSE has anticancer properties by inducing apoptosis and preventing metastasis in pancreatic cancer cells without affecting normal cells.