title: The essential oils from Zanthoxylum schinifolium pericarp induce apoptosis of HepG2 human hepatoma cells through increased production of reactive oxygen species.
abstract: The volatile extract from dried pericarp of Zanthoxylum schinifolium that was obtained by simultaneous distillation with dichloromethane and water was composed of 29.9% geranyl acetate, 15.8% citronella, 15.4% sabinene and the minor volatile components included beta-myrcene, linalool, (-)-isopulegol, citronellyl acetate, 1,4-dimethyl pyrazole, alpha-terpinene, 3-methyl-6-(1-methylethyl)-2-cyclo-hexene-1-o1 and trans-geraniol. The volatile extract decreased the cell viability and induced apoptotic death in HepG2 human hepatoma cells in a concentration- and time-related manner. In addition, the volatile extract increased the production of reactive oxygen species in a dose-dependent manner. Pretreatment of the cells with Trolox, a well-known antioxidant, significantly suppressed the generation of reactive oxygen species and cell death induced by the extract. However, caspase-3 activity was not changed in the extract-treated cells, suggesting that the extract-induced apoptosis of HepG2 cells is caspase-3 independent. Furthermore, in nude mice inoculated with Huh-7 human hepatoma cells, the extract significantly inhibited tumor development. These results suggest that the volatile extract from Zanthoxylum schinifolium pericarpium is a good candidate for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) therapy and that reactive oxygen species are the key signaling molecules in the volatile extract-induced cell death in HepG2 cells.
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 137-701, Korea.
authors.forename: Soon-Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Paik
authors.forename: Kyung-Hee
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Koh
authors.forename: Sung-Mok
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Beak
authors.forename: Seung-Hwan
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Paek
authors.forename: Jung-Ae
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism*; D023041:Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays; D032106:Zanthoxylum
chemical_list: D009822:Oils, Volatile; D010936:Plant Extracts; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species