Alpha-Tomatine Inhibits Human Oral Epidermoid Carcinoma Cells Through DNA Damage and Activation of Apoptotic Signaling Pathways.

Oral cancer still poses a serious threat to world health and has limited feasible remedies. Recently, Alpha-tomatine (AT), a naturally occurring glycoalkaloid, has attracted attention due to its possible anticancer effects. The study investigates its cytotoxic and apoptotic impact of AT against KB human oral carcinoma cells and examine its role in regulating molecular mechanism, with an emphasis on oxidative stress and DNA damage-mediated apoptosis. The MTT assay for cytotoxicity of AT against KB cells showed an IC50 of 11.8 µM. The DCFH-DA staining technique was used to measure ROS formation, and the results indicated a notable, concentration-dependent rise in ROS levels. AO/EtBr and DAPI staining determined the apoptotic morphological alterations, and the comet assay measured the DNA damage of treated cells. Western blot analysis showed a significant downregulation of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 and an elevation of pro-apoptotic markers include p53, Bax, caspase-3, and caspase-9. Overall, the data indicates that AT triggers apoptosis in KB cell lines by promoting ROS production, p53 activation, and mitochondrial-mediated pathways, leading to DNA fragmentation and caspase-dependent apoptosis. According to these results, AT could serve as a promising candidate or anticancer agent for oral cancer.