Anti-oxidant and anti-cancer activities of Angelica dahurica extract via induction of apoptosis in colon cancer cells

IntroductionAngelica dahurica Radix is the common herbal medicine with anti-cancer activities. However, details of its anti-cancer activities are lacking.Materials and methodsWe investigated the anti-cancer effects of Angelica dahurica extract in HT-29 colon cancer cell line. Cell viability, apoptotic and necrotic activities and the mechanism of actions of the active fraction were measured.Results and discussionThe organic extract of Angelica dahurica Radi decreased significantly the gene expression of p53, Bcl, Bax and induced apoptosis via caspase cascade and cell cycle arrest. The ethanol-ethyl acetate fraction showed anti-cancer activities in HT-29 cancer cells. A HPLC-DAD analysis of the fraction indicated the presence of Imperatorin and isoimperatorin, which are the major coumarins in the active fraction that contribute to the anti-cancer activities.ConclusionsThis study has evaluated the ant-cancer activity of the organic extract of Angelica dahurica Radix against colon cancer cells and provided a basis of further development of the herbal extract for treatment of colon cancer.

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