RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Xanthorrhizol Exhibits Antiproliferative Activity on MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells via Apoptosis Induction JF Anticancer Research JO Anticancer Res FD International Institute of Anticancer Research SP 4527 OP 4534 VO 26 IS 6B A1 CHEAH, YEW HOONG A1 AZIMAHTOL, HAWARIAH LOPE PIHIE A1 ABDULLAH, NOOR RAIN YR 2006 UL http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/26/6B/4527.abstract AB Xanthorrhizol is a natural sesquiterpenoid compound isolated from the rhizome of Curcuma xanthorrhiza Roxb (Zingiberaceae). Xanthorrhizol was tested for a variety of important pharmacological activities including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. An antiproliferation assay using the MTT method indicated that xanthorrhizol inhibited the proliferation of the human breast cancer cell line, MCF-7, with an EC50 value of 1.71 μg/ml. Three parameters including annexin-V binding assay, Hoechst 33258 staining and accumulation of sub-G1 population in DNA histogram confirmed the apoptosis induction in response to xanthorrhizol treatment. Western-blotting revealed down-regulation of the anti-apoptotic bcl-2 protein expression. However, xanthorrhizol did not affect the expression of the pro-apoptotic protein, bax, at a concentration of 1 μg/ml, 2.5 μg/ml and 5 μg/ml. The level of p53 was greatly increased, whilst PARP-1 was cleaved to 85 kDa subunits, following the treatment with xanthorrhizol at a dose-dependent manner. These results, thereby, suggest that xanthorrhizol has antiproliferative effects on MCF-7 cells by inducing apoptosis through the modulation of bcl-2, p53 and PARP-1 protein levels. Copyright© 2006 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved