Molecules 2012, 17(4), 3723-3735; doi:10.3390/molecules17043723
Article

Extracts of Lycoris aurea Induce Apoptosis in Murine Sarcoma S180 Cells

Na Liao †,* email, Mingzhang Ao † email, Peng Zhangemail and Longjiang Yu* email
Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Resource Biology and Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, Hubei, China † These authors contributed equally to this work.
* Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 6 December 2011; in revised form: 16 March 2012 / Accepted: 20 March 2012 / Published: 26 March 2012
(This article belongs to the Section Molecular Diversity)
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Abstract: Lycoris species have been known since long ago as a multi-utility ethnomedicinal herbal in China. It has been reported to exhibit a number of properties such as anticancer, neuroprotective, and antibacterial activities. In the present study, the anticancer efficacy of dichloromethane extracts of Lycoris aurea (DELA), was evaluated both in vivo and in vitro using murine sarcoma 180 cells. To evaluate the effects of DELA on apoptotic cell death, flow cytometry and Western blotting were performed. DELA demonstrated promising inhibition effects on sarcoma 180 cells in vitro and a 53.49% inhibitory rate on cancer cells in vivo. DELA treatment increased thymus indices and spleen indices in vivo, indicating that it reduced tumours, but did not damage the main immune organs. The DELA-evoked increase in apoptotic cell death was accompanied by occurrence of cleaved caspase-3 and decreases in the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax. Further purification and LCMS analysis showed DELA contained homolycorine, 2α-hydroxyoduline, oduline, hippeastrine, 2α-hydroxy-6-O- methyloduline, and 2α-methoxy-6-O-methyloduline. These results indicate that DELA exerted its anticancer effects, at least in part, by inducing cancer cell apoptosis and thus can be considered as a potential candidate agent for treatment of cancer.
Keywords: Lycoris aurea; anticancer activity; apoptosis; lycorerine-type alkaloid

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Cite This Article

MDPI and ACS Style

Liao, N.; Ao, M.; Zhang, P.; Yu, L. Extracts of Lycoris aurea Induce Apoptosis in Murine Sarcoma S180 Cells. Molecules 2012, 17, 3723-3735.

AMA Style

Liao N, Ao M, Zhang P, Yu L. Extracts of Lycoris aurea Induce Apoptosis in Murine Sarcoma S180 Cells. Molecules. 2012; 17(4):3723-3735.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Liao, Na; Ao, Mingzhang; Zhang, Peng; Yu, Longjiang. 2012. "Extracts of Lycoris aurea Induce Apoptosis in Murine Sarcoma S180 Cells." Molecules 17, no. 4: 3723-3735.

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