Polygonum multiflorum Stilbene Glycoside Oligomers induce the ferroptosis of triple negative breast cancer cells

Sep 23, 2026

Uploaded by Margaret

Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. (P. multiflorum) quality control testing identifies trans-2,3,5,4'-tetrahydroxystilbene 2-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (TSG) as a key active ingredient with diverse biological effects. This study reports that TSG potently induces ferroptosis and suppresses the proliferation of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell lines. TSG increases lipid peroxides, 4-hydroxynonenal, and reactive oxygen species in TNBC cells. Both in vivo and in vitro assays confirm inhibition of TNBC proliferation and metastasis. Related stilbene glycoside oligomers produce similar ferroptosis induction and anti-metastatic effects, supporting a therapeutic strategy for TNBC.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages16

Reading Time40 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Polygonum multiflorum and TSG background

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC)

Ferroptosis as a therapeutic target

Materials and methods

Cell lines and agents

Lin etal. BMC Cancer (2025) 25:676 [https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-025-13999-z](https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-025-13999-z) BMC Cancer RESEARCH Open Access Polygonum multiflorum Stilbene Glycoside Oligomers induce the ferroptosis of triple negative breast cancer cells Xiaomeng Lin1,2, Hua Yang3, Tingting Cai4, Zhangshuo Yang1,2, Siyun Niu5* and Hui Jia6* Abstract The quality control testing component and main active ingredient of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. (P. multiflorum), known as trans-2,3,5,4ʹ-tetrahydroxystilbene 2-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (TSG), exhibits diverse biological activities. In this study, we report, for the first time, the potent ability ofTSG to induce ferroptosis in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell lines and to inhibit the proliferation ofTNBC cells. Treatment with TSG triggers the production of lipid peroxides, 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), and reactive oxygen species (ROS) inTNBC cells, indicating the induction offerroptosis. Both in vivo and in vitro experiments confirmed the inhibitory effects ofTSG onTNBC cell proliferation and metastasis. Furthermore, we investigated the effects of other stilbene glycoside oligomers, alongside TSG, onTNBC cell lines. These compounds also demonstrated the ability to induce ferroptosis and suppress TNBC cells’proliferation and metastasis. These findings suggest that the induction offerroptosis by TSG and related compounds could potentially serve as a promising therapeutic strategy forTNBC treatment. Keywords Polygonum multiflorum Thunb, Trans 2,3,5,4ʹ-tetrahydroxystilbene 2-O-β-D glucopyranoside, Triple negative breast cancer *Correspondence: Siyun Niu [nsy1688@163.com](nsy1688@163.com)[ ](nsy1688@163.com)Hui Jia [huijia412413@symc.edu.cn](huijia412413@symc.edu.cn) Full list of author information is available at the end of the article © The Author(s) 2025. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, which permits any non-commercial use, sharing, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if you modified the licensed material. You do not have permission under this licence to share adapted material derived from this article or parts of it. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.)[.](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.) Lin etal. BMC Cancer (2025) 25:676 Page 2 of 16 Graphical Abstract Introduction Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. (P. multiflorum), a climbing vine plant belonging to the Polygonaceae family, holds the significant traditional significance in China as a renowned rug-food homologous natural product [1] . Its roots have diverse activities and applications. Scientific evidence suggests that P. multiflorum contains stilbene glycoside dimers, particularly the trans-2,3,5,4 ʹ -tetrahydroxystilbene 2-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (TSG) is considered as the active components of P. multiflorum [2, 3] . While existing research on P. multiflorum were mainly extensively studied the effects of stilbene glycoside dimers like trans-2,3,5,4 ʹ-tetrahydroxystilbene 2-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (TSG) primarily focused on cardiovascular and neurological diseases, and limited research has explored their potential antitumor properties [4] . Molecular studies have revealed that TSG can inhibit several signaling p

FAQs

What is the main compound studied from Polygonum multiflorum?

The study focuses on trans-2,3,5,4'-tetrahydroxystilbene 2-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (TSG) as a key active ingredient from Polygonum multiflorum.

How does TSG affect triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells?

TSG induces ferroptosis in TNBC cells and inhibits their proliferation. It promotes lipid peroxides, 4-HNE, and reactive oxygen species, consistent with ferroptosis induction.

Do other stilbene glycoside oligomers besides TSG show similar effects?

Yes. Other stilbene glycoside oligomers, alongside TSG, also induce ferroptosis and suppress TNBC cell proliferation and metastasis.

Sep 23, 2026

Uploaded by Margaret