Induction of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in human non-small cell lung cancer A549 cells by casuarinin from the bark of Terminalia arjuna Linn.

Casuarinin, a hydrolyzable tannin isolated from the bark of Terminalia arjuna Linn. (Combretaceae), inhibits human non-small cell lung cancer A549 cells by blocking cell cycle progression in the G0/G1 phase and inducing apoptosis. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay showed that the G0/G1 phase arrest is due to p53-dependent induction of p21/WAF1. An enhancement in Fas/APO-1 and the two forms of Fas ligand (FasL), membrane-bound FasL and soluble FasL, might be responsible for the apoptotic effect induced by casuarinin. Our study reports here for the first time that the induction of p53 and the activity of the Fas/FasL apoptotic system may participate in the antiproliferative activity of casuarinin in A549 cells.