Ethyl acetate extract of the stem bark of Cudrania tricuspidata induces apoptosis in human leukemia HL-60 cells.

Apoptosis is now widely accepted as playing a role in tumorigenesis. An effective compound which can kill tumors via apoptotic pathway appears to be a relevant strategy to suppress various human tumors. The ethyl acetate extract from the stem bark of Cudrania tricuspidata (EACT) showed dose- and time-dependent cytotoxic effects on human leukemia HL-60 cells. DNA fragmentation and morphological changes, accompanied by condensed and fragmented nuclei, were observed in the cells cultured for 6 hr with EACT. These results suggest that the cytotoxicity of the crude extract from Cudrania tricuspidata against HL-60 cells is due to apoptosis.