Flavonoids products from Nitraria retusa leaves promote lymphoblastoid cells apoptosis.

In this report, the ethyl acetate extract and its major constituent, isorhamnetin 3-o-robinobioside (I3-O-Rob), from Nitraria retusa (N. Retusa) leaf extracts were evaluated for their ability to induce apoptosis in human lymphoblastoid cells (TK6). Apoptosis of TK6 cell line was carried out using DNA fragmentation, poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) cleavage with reference to caspase-3 activity. These tested products, from N. Retusa, enhanced the apoptosis effects in the tested cancer cell line. This result was confirmed by DNA fragmentation and PARP cleavage indicating a release of caspase-3 level. Our results indicate that the original ethyl acetate extract and the I3-O-Rob have a great antiproliferative effect on human lymphoblastoid cells (TK6), which may be due to their involvement in the apoptotic pathway.