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BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies
Published in: BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies 1/2020

01-12-2020 | Gastric Cancer | Research article

Germacrone exerts anti-cancer effects on gastric cancer through induction of cell cycle arrest and promotion of apoptosis

Authors: Lei Wu, Lifen Wang, Xiangguo Tian, Junyong Zhang, Hua Feng

Published in: BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies | Issue 1/2020

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Abstract

Background

Germacrone is one of the natural bioactive compounds found in Rhizoma curcuma essential oils. In this study, the potential anti-cancer effect of germacrone in gastric cancer cell line BGC823 was investigated.

Methods

The cell viability and proliferative activity were assessed, and cell cycle analysis was also performed. Hoechst 33258 and Annexin V/PI double staining was used for detection of cell apoptosis. Protein profiles of cell cycle-related and apoptosis-related proteins were assessed.

Results

MTT assay revealed that germacrone had marked cytotoxicity on BGC823 cells. Germacrone induced cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase via remarkably decreased expression levels of cyclin B1, cdc 2 and cdc 25c. In addition, the treatment with germacrone induced caspase-3 activity and PARP cleavage. These findings demonstrated the effects of germacrone on inhibiting cell proliferation through induction of G2/M phase cell cycle arrest and promotion of cell apoptosis. It also indicated that germacrone functioned through modulations of cell cycle-associated protein expression and mitochondria-mediated apoptosis.

Conclusion

These findings will be valuable as the molecular basis for the germacrone-mediated anti-cancer effect against gastric cancer.
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Metadata
Title
Germacrone exerts anti-cancer effects on gastric cancer through induction of cell cycle arrest and promotion of apoptosis
Authors
Lei Wu
Lifen Wang
Xiangguo Tian
Junyong Zhang
Hua Feng
Publication date
01-12-2020
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies / Issue 1/2020
Electronic ISSN: 2662-7671
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-019-2810-3

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