Anti-cancer effects of ginsenoside compound k on pediatric acute myeloid leukemia cells

Pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous disease and remains clinically challenging. Currently chemotherapies are frequently associated with treatment-related death and long-term side effects. Therefore, alternative approaches with lower toxicity are highly desired. Ginsenosides and metabolites are the main ingredients responsible for the multiple pharmaceutical functions of ginseng, which is one of the most commonly consumed herbal medicines world widely. In the present study, we demonstrated that compound K, a major ginsenoside metabolite, inhibited the growth of the clinically relevant pediatric AML cell lines in a time- and dose-dependent manner. This growth inhibitory effect was attributable to suppression of DNA synthesis during cell proliferation. Furthermore, we observed significant G1 cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induced by compound K. The induction of apoptosis was accompanied by DNA double strand breaks. Our findings suggest that as a low toxic natural reagent, compound K could be a potential drug for pediatric AML intervention and to improve the outcome of pediatric AML treatment.