Anti cancer effects of Cnidium officinale Makino extract mediated through Apoptosis and Cell cycle arrest in Human Colorectal cancer cell line (HT‐29)

Abstract

Natural products have recently attracted many researchers due to their potential use as therapeutic agent. Cnidium officinale Makino (COM) has multiple anti‐cancer properties, but its molecular targets and mode of action on human colorectal cancer cells are unknown. Through cell counting kit assay (CCK‐8), dose dependent cytotoxic effects were shown in HT‐29 cells treated with various concentrations of COM. This cytotoxic effect was not observed when COM was used to treat normal intestinal epithelial cells (IEC‐6). Flow cytometry analysis of the cell cycle after treatment with COM clearly showed that COM inhibited cellular proliferation of HT‐29 cells via G1 phase arrest of the cell cycle. The apoptotic effect of COM on HT‐29 cells was confirmed by annexin V‐propidium iodide apoptosis test. An increase in the expression of p53, pro‐apoptotic factor Bax and a decrease in the expression of anti‐apoptotic factor Bcl‐2 were also observed in a dose‐dependent manner. COM also down regulated the expression of pro‐caspase‐3 and pro‐caspase‐9 in a dose dependent manner. These data suggest a possible mechanism whereby COM could induce apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. This property of COM also suggests that COM could have possible therapeutic potential against human colon adenocarcinoma.