From Functional Food to Therapeutic Prospect: Mechanistic Study of Gypenoside XVII in HeLa Cells

Cervical cancer remains a prominent cause of cancer-related mortality among women worldwide because of chronic infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) and disparate access to prevention and treatment. The current research evaluates the anticancer activity of Gypenoside XVII, a bioactive saponin of Gynostemma pentaphyllum, in HeLa cells as a model of cervical cancer. MTT, Annexin V-PI, and Hoechst 33342 assays showed dose-dependent growth inhibition with typical apoptotic morphology. Flow cytometry revealed G0/G1 cell-cycle arrest, while pathway interrogation revealed participation of mitochondrial and death-receptor cascades, in agreement with caspase-9 and caspase-8 activation, respectively. Collectively, these findings position Gypenoside XVII as a natural-product bioactive with potential both as an anticancer lead and as a functional-food ingredient, deserving of further preclinical development.