RESUMO
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the antitumor activity of Diosgenin in vivo and in vitro.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>S-180, HepA, U14 and EAC transplant mice were given Diosgenin ig or i.p. everyday for 10 days, from the next day when they were inoculated in axilla. Tumor growth inhibit rates were calculated. Four kinds of cells, MCF, L929, A375-S2 and HeLa, were incubated respectively with Diosgenin in vitro. Tumor growth inhibit rates were also calculated.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>In vivo, both ig and i.p., Diosgenin inhibited S-180, HepA, U 14 mice transplant tumor, the inhibit rates being 30%-50%, but it did not inhibit the EAC mice transplant tumor. In vitro, Diosgenin inhibited L929, HeLa, MCF cell growth, and IC50 were 1.2, 18.2, 19.8 micrograms.mL-1 respectively, but it did not significantly affect A375-S2 cells.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Diosgenin has an obvious antitumor activity on S-180, HepA, U14 transplant mice in vivo and L929, HeLa, MCF cells in vitro.</p>