A ginseng saponin metabolite suppresses tumor necrosis factor-α-promoted metastasis by suppressing nuclear factor-κB signaling in murine colon cancer cells

SC-514, an inhibitor of IκB kinase β (IKKβ), blocked the TNF-α-induced activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) as well as the TNF-α-promoted metastasis of murine colon adenocarcinoma cells. We investigated the effect of 20-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-20(S)-protopanaxadiol (M1), a main intestinal bacterial metabolite of ginseng, on the NF-κB-dependent metastasis. M1 was effective in suppressing the TNF-α-induced activation of NE-κB, expression of matrix metalloprotease-9 (MMP-9), migration and invasion. The TNF-α-evoked increase in lung and liver metastasis of colon carcinoma was also abrogated by treatment with M1 in vitro. These results suggest that ginseng has potential to suppress inflammation-related metastasis by downregulating the NF-κB signaling pathway.