Myricetin induces cell death of human colon cancer cells via BAX/BCL2-dependent pathway.

Myricetin is a flavonol found in various berries, herbs, and walnuts. Previous studies have demonstrated that myricetin has anticancer effects against several types of cancer, including hepatocarcinoma, skin carcinoma, and pancreatic cancer. However, the anticancer activity of myricetin on human colon cancer has not been yet established. In the present study, we investigated the anticancer effects of myricetin on HCT-15 human colon cancer cells. We found that myricetin induces cytotoxicity and DNA condensation in human colon cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. We also determined that myricetin increases the BCL2-associated X protein/B-cell lymphoma 2 ratio, but not cleavage of caspase-3 and -9. In addition, myricetin induced the release of apoptosis-inducing factor from mitochondria. These results suggest that myricetin induces apoptosis of HCT-15 human colon cancer cells and may prove useful in the development of therapeutic agents for human colon cancer.