Bakuchiol inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in SGC-7901 human gastric cancer cells

Purpose: The main purpose of the present study was to evaluate the antiproliferative activity of bakuchiol in human gastric tumor cell line (SGC-7901) along with an effort to demonstrate its mode of action. Methods: he effect of the compound on cell viability was evaluated by MTT assay. Fluorescence and phase contrast microscopic techniques were used to study the effect of the compound on cellular morphology and apoptosis. Flow cytometry was used to assess the effect on cell cycle phase distribution. Results: The results revealed that bakuchiol exerted potent, dose-dependent as well as time-dependent growth inhibitory effects in SGC-7901 cell proliferation with IC50 ovalues of 58.4, 42.3 and 32.5 mu M at 12, 24 and 48 hrs time intervals, respectively. On treatment with 10, 50 and 100 mu M dose of bakuchiol for 48 hrs, phase contrast microscope revealed that the cells got detached from one another making clusters of small number of cells floating in the medium. After the cells were treated with 10, 50 and 100 mu M of bakuchiol, cells began to emit orange red fluorescence more heavily at the centre of cells indicating apoptosis. Bakuchiol also induced sub-G1 cell cycle arrest in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusion: The current findings reveal that bakuchiol is a potent cytotoxic agent against gastric cancer cells and its cytotoxicity is mediated through induction of apoptosis and sub-G1 cell cycle arrest.