Anti cancer effects of Cnidium officinale Makino extract mediated through apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in the HT-29 human colorectal cancer cell line.

The anti cancer properties and underlying cell death mechanisms induced by an extract of the roots of Cnidium officinale Makino (COM) were investigated. An ethanolic extract of COM inhibited proliferation of human colon cancer cells (HT-29) with both dose- and time-dependence. Analysis of the cell cycle after treatment of HT-29 cells with various concentrations of COM showed reduction of cellular proliferation via G1 phase arrest. Apoptotic effects of COM and Western blotting both revealed that COM extract dose-dependently increased the expression of p53, p21,Bax and caspase-3. Anti-apoptotic factor Bcl-2 expression was down regulated as well as those of cyclin D1 and CDK4. These data suggest that COM has anti cancer properties by inducing apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in HT-29 cells and could have possible therapeutic potential against human colon adenocarcinoma.