Evaluation of apoptotic and growth inhibitory activity of phloretin in BGC823 gastric cancer cell

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the in vitro anti-proliferative activity and probable mechanism of phloretin in human gastric cancer BGC823 cell lines. Methods: Phloretin was isolated from apple tree leaves and identified by 1H-Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), 13C-NMR and electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). The inhibitory activity of the compound in BGC823 gastric cancer cells was determined by Methylthiazolyldiphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and soft agar colony formation assay while its apoptotic activity was detected by fluorescene staining and Western blotting analysis. Results: The results show that the inhibitory activity of phloretin in BGC823 gastric cancer cells was mediated by induction of apoptosis and down-regulation of Bcl2 (B-cell lymphoma 2) expression. The anti-proliferative effects of phloretin was dose-dependent and inhibited the growth of BGC823 gastric cancer cells by 73 % at 30 μM; this effectively induced cleavage of anti-poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) as well as downregulation of Bcl2 protein expression in BGC823 cells after 24 h treatment. Conclusion: Phloretin is a promising preventive and therapeutic agent for gastric cancer.