Tomentosin displays anti-carcinogenic effect in human osteosarcoma MG-63 cells via the induction of intracellular reactive oxygen species

Tomentosin is a natural sesquiterpene lactone extracted from various plants and is widely used as a medicine because it exhibits essential therapeutic properties. In this study, we investigated the anti-carcinogenic effects of tomentosin in human osteosarcoma MG-63 cells by performing cell migration/viability/proliferation, apoptosis, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) analysis assays. MG-63 cells were treated with various doses of tomentosin. After treatment with tomentosin, MG-63 cells were analyzed using the MTT assay, colony formation assay, cell counting assay, wound healing assay, Boyden chamber assay, zymography assay, cell cycle analysis, FITC Annexin V apoptosis assay, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling assay, western blot analysis, and ROS detection analysis. Our results indicated that tomentosin decreased cell viability and migration ability in MG-63 cells. Moreover, tomentosin induced apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, DNA damage, and ROS production in MG-63 cells. Furthermore, tomentosin-induced intracellular ROS decreased cell viability and induced apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, and DNA damage in MG-63 cells. Taken together, our results suggested that tomentosin exerted anti-carcinogenic effects in MG-63 cells by induction of intracellular ROS.