Effects of 6-gingerol, an antioxidant from ginger, on inducing apoptosis in human leukemic HL-60 cells.
6-Gingerol, a naturally occurring plant phenol, is one of the major components of fresh ginger. In this paper, the antioxidative effects of 6-gingerol were detected by DPPH and DCFH assays and, as predicted, 6-gingerol as an antioxidant was shown to protect HL-60 cells from oxidative stress. Moreover, it induced cell death in promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells, caused DNA fragmentation and inhibited Bcl-2 expression in HL-60 cells. These results suggested that the inhibition of Bcl-2 expression in HL-60 cells might account for the mechanism of 6-gingerol-induced apoptosis. In the inhibitory assay, the cytotoxic effect of 6-gingerol could be prevented by catalase. We suggest that 6-gingerol induced cell death by mediating reactive oxygen species such as hydrogen peroxide and the superoxide anion. Therefore, the results showed that 6-gingerol induced apoptosis in HL-60 cells, not due to its antioxidative activity.
Wang
Ching-Chiung
CC
Graduate Institute of Pharmacognosy Science, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wu-Hsing Street, Taipei 110, Taiwan, R.O.C.
Chen
Lih-Geeng
LG
Lee
Lain-Tze
LT
Yang
Ling-Ling
LL
D000975:Antioxidants / Q000633:toxicity*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D002396:Catechols; D003603:Cytotoxins / Q000633:toxicity; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005233:Fatty Alcohols / Q000633:toxicity*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D020939:Zingiber officinale; D018922:HL-60 Cells; D006801:Humans; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism
D000975:Antioxidants; D002396:Catechols; D003603:Cytotoxins; D005233:Fatty Alcohols; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; C007845:gingerol