Liriopesides B from Liriope spicata var. prolifera inhibits metastasis and induces apoptosis in A2780 human ovarian cancer cells

Ovarian cancer is the most frequent cause of death among gynecological cancers. In the present study, the anti‑cancer effect of liriopesides B, a steroidal saponin from Liriope spicata var. prolifera, against A2780 cells was investigated. Transwell chambers were adopted to assess its effect on cell invasion and chemotaxis abilities. Flow cytometry was used to analyze the cell cycle and apoptosis. Reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR was employed to examine gene expression levels. Western blot analysis was performed to detect protein expression levels. Liriopesides B inhibited the invasion and chemotactic movement ability of A2780 cells in a dose‑dependent manner. Furthermore, liriopesides B caused cell cycle arrest in A2780 cells at the G1 phase following incubation for 24, 48 and 72 h. Hoechst 33258 staining indicated that, following incubation for 48 h, liriopesides B induced cell apoptosis in a dose‑dependent manner. Flow cytometry verified that liriopesides B induced apoptosis in A2780 cells and induced late apoptosis in a dose‑dependent manner. Furthermore, liriopesides B significantly increased the mRNA expression levels of E‑CADHERIN, p21 and p27 and decreased the gene expression levels of BCL‑2, which was consistent with its protein expression levels. In conclusion, liriopesides B possess anti‑cancer properties, including inhibition of metastasis‑associated behaviors, cell cycle arrest and induction of apoptosis. Therefore, liriopesides B may be considered as a candidate drug against ovarian cancer.