Abstract

Bisdemethoxycurcumin, an active ingredient from the rhizome of the plant, Curcuma longa, has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities. It has recently been demonstrated that the anticarcinogenic activities of Bisdemethoxycurcumin might be due to its ability to inhibit cell growth and induce apoptosis. In the present study, we have investigated the effects of Bisdemethoxycurcumin on growth and apoptosis in the human ovarian cancer cell line SKOV3 by MTT assay, fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry and Western blotting. Our data revealed that Bisdemethoxycurcumin could significantly inhibit the growth and induce apoptosis in SKOV3 cells and a decrease in expression of Bcl-2, Bcl-XL and NF-κB. These activities may contribute to the anticarcinogenic action of Bisdemethoxycurcumin.

Key words: Bisdemethoxycurcumin, apoptosis, ovarian cancer, SKOV3 cells.