Abstract

The Angelica decursiva has been used in Korean traditional medicine as an antitussive, an analgesic, an antipyretic and a cough remedy. However, its anticancer activity has been unknown. In this study, we have examined the cytotoxic activity of ethanol extract of A. decursiva root (EEAD), and the mechanism by which EEAD suppresses cell growth in Saos2 human osteogenic sarcoma cells. Treatment of EEAD in Saos2 cells induced the apoptic cell death in a concentration-dependent manner as determined by MTT assay and DNA fragmentation analysis but not in FOB human normal osteoblast cells. Furthermore, the proteolytic processing and the activity of caspase-3 and -7 were increased by EEAD treatment in Saos2 cells. These results suggest that EEAD can induce the suppression of cell growth and cell apoptosis in Saos2 human osteogenic sarcoma cells, and therefore, it may have potential properties for anticancer drug discovery. 

Key words: Human osteogenic sarcoma cell, Angelica decursiva, apoptosis, caspases, anti-cancer therapy.