Trollius chinensis Bunge is widely used in China. Total flavonoids of Trollius chinensis Bunge contain large amounts of orientin. To ascertain whether this major fraction has a pronounced anticancer effect, the cytotoxic effect of orientin and its effect on apoptosis of HeLa cells were evaluated. The work showed orientin inhibited proliferation of HeLa cells in a dose-dependent manner. Cell growth arrest was confirmed by flow cytometry. Apoptotic signaling induced by orientin was characterized by an increased Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and up-regulation of Bax and down-regulation of Bcl-2. Orientin treatment also initiated proteolytic activation of caspase-3 and caspase-9. These results indicate that orientin may have applications in the treatment of human cervical carcinoma, and further investigation is
Orientin (98 %) was obtained from Chengdu Biopurify Phytochemicals.
