The effects of Elephantopus mollis Extracts on the Migration, Invasion and Adhesion of Human Cervical Cancer Cells

Extracts and compounds from Elephantopus mollis (EM), a relatively well-studied herbal plant of the Asteraceae family, were proved to be substantially cytotoxic toward various cancers, including cervical carcinoma. Nevertheless, the anti-metastatic ability of this plant remains unknown. Hence, in this study, we evaluated the influence of EM extracts on the migration, invasion, and adhesion of cervical cancer SiHa cells. The non-toxic thresholds of EM extracts were identified by MTT assay and microscopic observation. Wound healing assay was employed to evaluate the effect of EM extracts on cell migration. Geltrex-coated Transwell assay, and Collagen I adhesion assessment were harnessed for cancer cell invasion and extra cellular matrix attachment, respectively. The expressions of metastasis-involved genes under the influence of chosen EM extract were quantified by RT - qPCR. The sub-lethal concentrations of EM extracts were tested on SiHa cell migratory ability via wound healing assay. Among the four extracts (ethyl acetate, ethanol, water, and petroleum ether), ethyl acetate fraction (EM-EA) was chosen due to its effectiveness at very low concentrations (i.e., 5 and 10µg/mL extract reduce cell migration by 26% and 54%, respectively). Assessment of cellular invasion and adhesion indicated the significant inhibition of EM-EA on the ability to invade the basement membrane and attach to the ECM of SiHa cells, respectively. Finally, a 40% reduced expression of a crucial metastasis-involved gene (i.e., EZR) caused by EM- EA treatment suggested the underlying mechanism of this extract on the metastasis of SiHa cells. Collectively, our findings are the first to demonstrate the effects of EM extracts on the metastatic traits of cervical cancer cells and its underline mechanism.