Chemical investigation on the methanol extract of the starfish Ctenodiscus crispatus resulted in the isolation of five steroids, (22E,24ξ)-26,27-bisnor-24-methyl-5α-cholest-22-en-3β,5,6β,15α,25-pentol 25-O-sulfate (1), (22E,24R,25R)-24-methyl-5α-cholest-22-en-3β,5,6β,15α,25,26-hexol 26-O-sulfate (2), (28R)-24-ethyl-5αcholesta-3β,5,6β,8,15α,28,29-heptaol-24-sulfate (3), (25S)-5α-cholestane-3β,5,6β,15α,16β,26-hexaol (4), and Δ7-sitosterol (5). Their structures were identified by extensive

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... copic analyses, including 1D, 2D NMR and MS and chemical methods. Compound 4 showed cytotoxicity against human hepatoma HepG2 and glioblastoma U87MG cells via inhibition of cell growth and induction of apoptosis. Induction of apoptosis by 4 was demonstrated by cell death, DNA fragmentation, increased Bax/Bcl-2 protein ratio and the activation of caspase-3, caspase-9 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP).