Cytotoxic and Apoptotic Effects of Ethyl Acetate Extract of Elephantopus mollis Kunth. in Human Liver Carcinoma HepG2 Cells Through Caspase-3 Activation
Open Access
- 15 February 2012
- journal article
- research article
- Published by SAGE Publications in Integrative Cancer Therapies
- Vol. 13 (3) , NP1-NP9
Abstract
Previous cytotoxic (anticancer) evaluations of Elephantopus mollis were mainly focused on its elephantopin derivatives neglecting the combined effect of the phytochemicals in its traditionally used extracts. In this study, the cytotoxic mechanism of its extracts was investigated using methylene blue assay. The cytotoxic screening results revealed the ethyl acetate extract as the most potent extract by displaying prominent dose-dependent and time-dependent growth inhibitions in human liver carcinoma HepG2 cells with the lowest EC50 value of 9.38 ± 0.43 µg/mL after 72 hours of treatment. Acute exposure of the HepG2 cells to the ethyl acetate extract produced a significant regulation of caspase-3 with the peak expression at 8 hours of treatment ( P < .05). DNA fragmentation indicated by DeadEnd Apoptosis Detection System–labeled nuclei cells confirmed that the extract induced apoptotic cell death through caspase-3-dependent pathway in HepG2 cells.Keywords
This publication has 31 references indexed in Scilit:
- Herbal therapy use by cancer patients: A literature review on case reportsEuropean Journal of Cancer, 2011
- Phenolic-Containing Organic Extracts of Mulberry ( Morus alba L.) Leaves Inhibit HepG2 Hepatoma Cells Through G2/M Phase Arrest, Induction of Apoptosis, and Inhibition of Topoisomerase IIα ActivityJournal of Medicinal Food, 2010
- The continuing search for antitumor agents from higher plantsPhytochemistry Letters, 2010
- Immunity, Inflammation, and CancerCell, 2010
- Targeting apoptosis as an approach for gastrointestinal cancer therapyDrug Resistance Updates, 2009
- Classification of cell death: recommendations of the Nomenclature Committee on Cell Death 2009Cell Death & Differentiation, 2008
- A new classification system of anticancer drugs – Based on cell biological mechanismsMedical Hypotheses, 2006
- Promoting apoptosis as a strategy for cancer drug discoveryNature Reviews Cancer, 2005
- Therapy of breast cancer with molecular targeting agentsAnnals of Oncology, 2005
- Antiproliferative effects of oxygenated sterols: positive correlation with binding affinities for the antiestrogen-binding sitesBiochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Lipids and Lipid Metabolism, 1991