Deciphering the Molecular Mechanism Responsible for Efficiently Inhibiting Metastasis of Human Non-Small Cell Lung and Colorectal Cancer Cells Targeting the Matrix Metalloproteinases by Selaginella repanda

species are known to have antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic as well as anticancer effects. However, no study has examined the cytotoxic and anti-metastatic efficacy of to date. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the potential anti-metastatic properties of ethanol crude extract of in human non-small-cell lung (A-549) and colorectal cancer (HCT-116) cells with possible mechanisms. Effect of crude extract on the growth, adhesion, migration and invasion of the A-549 and HCT-116 were investigated. We demonstrated that crude extract inhibited cell growth of metastatic cells in a dose and time dependent manner. Incubation of A-549 and HCT-116 cells with 100-500 µg/mL of crude extract significantly inhibited cell adhesion to gelatin coated surface. In the migration and invasion assay, crude extract also significantly inhibited cellular migration and invasion in both A-549 and HCT-116 cells. Moreover, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, and real-time PCR (RT-PCR) analysis revealed that the activity and mRNA level of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and membrane type 1-matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) were inhibited. While the activity of tissue inhibitor matrix metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP-1); an inhibitor of MMPs was stimulated by crude extract in a concentration-dependent manner. Therefore, the present study not only indicated the inhibition of motility and invasion of malignant cells by , but also revealed that such effects were likely associated with the decrease in MMP-2/-9 expression of both A-549 and HCT-116 cells. This further suggests that could be used as a potential source of anti-metastasis agent in pharmaceutical development for cancer therapy.