A Study of the Anti-Cancer Effects of the Hexane Fraction of the Methanol Extract of Forsythiae Fructus.

UNASSIGNED

Forsythiae Fructus (FF) is a well-known medicinal herb derived from the dried fruits of Forsythia suspensa (Thunb.) Vahl. (Oleaceae). Recently, bioactive compounds isolated from hydrophobic solvent fractions of FF have been reported to have anti-oxidant, antibacterial, and anti-cancer effects.

UNASSIGNED

Almost all herbal medicines are derived from water extracts, which suggests different extraction methods might enhance the practical efficacies of herbal medicines. In this study, the authors further investigated the most potential anti-cancer fraction, that is, the hexane fraction (FFH) of the methanol extract (FFM) of the dried fruits of Forsythia suspensa.

UNASSIGNED

FFH was investigated by measuring its effects on the viability and apoptotic death of PC-3 cells (a prostate cancer cell line), on the expression levels of Bcl-2, Bax, cytochrome c, procaspase-9, procaspase-3 and PARP, and caspase-3 activity.

UNASSIGNED

FFH significantly accelerated apoptotic cell death and decreased the protein levels of Bcl-2, procaspase-9, and procaspase-3.

UNASSIGNED

FFH can act as a pro-oxidative agent and induce the apoptosis of prostate cancer cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Hexane fraction of the methanol extract of Forsythiae Fructus (FFH) at a concentration more than 50 µg/mL significantly reduced PC-3 cell viabilityFFH time and dose dependently elevated intracellular ROS levels and increased the proportion of cells arrested in the G0/G1 phaseFFH significantly accelerated apoptotic cell death and diminished the protein expression levels of Bcl-2, procaspase-9, and procaspase-3The protein expression levels of Bax, cytochrome c, and cleaved PARP were increased by FFH, and so was the caspase-3 activity. Abbreviations used: FF: Forsythiae Fructus; FFM: Methanol extract of Forsythiae Fructus; FFH: Hexane fraction of the methanol extract; DCFH-DA: 2',7'-dichlorodihydro-fluorescein diacetate.