Planta Med 2005; 71(3): 237-243
DOI: 10.1055/s-2005-837823
Original Paper
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Casuarinin from the Bark of Terminalia arjuna Induces Apoptosis and Cell Cycle Arrest in Human Breast Adenocarcinoma MCF-7 Cells

Po-Lin Kuo1 , Ya-Ling Hsu2 , Ta-Chen Lin3 , Liang-Tzung Lin4 , Jiunn-Kae Chang1 , Chun-Ching Lin2
  • 1Department of Biotechnology, Chia-Nan University of Pharmacy and Science, Tainan, Taiwan
  • 2Graduate Institute of Natural Products, College of Pharmacy, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
  • 3Department of pharmacy, Ta-Jen Institute of Technology, Ping-Tung, Taiwan
  • 4Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Further Information

Publication History

Received: June 15, 2004

Accepted: October 30, 2004

Publication Date:
15 March 2005 (online)

Abstract

Casuarinin, a hydrolyzable tannin isolated from the bark of Terminalia arjuna L. (Combretaceae), was investigated for its antiproliferative activity in human breast adenocarcinoma MCF-7 cells. The results showed that casuarinin inhibited the proliferation of MCF-7 by blocking cell cycle progression in the G0/G1 phase and inducing apoptosis. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay showed that casuarinin increased the expression of p21/WAF1 concomitantly as the MCF-7 cells underwent G0/G1 arrest. An enhancement in Fas/APO-1 and its two forms of ligands, membrane-bound Fas ligand (mFasL) and soluble Fas ligand (sFasL), might be responsible for the apoptotic effect induced by casuarinin. Our study reports here for the first time that the induction of p21/WAF1 and the activity of Fas/Fas ligand apoptotic system may participate in the antiproliferative activity of casuarinin in MCF-7 cells.

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Professor Chun-Ching Lin

Graduate Institute of Natural Products

College of Pharmacy

Kaohsiung Medical University

100 Shih-Chuan 1st Road

Kaohsiung 807

Taiwan

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