Hellebrigenin induces apoptosis in colorectal cancer Cells through induction of excessive reactive oxygen species

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been increasingly applied in both preventing and treating a variety of cancers in the last decades, attributing to its fewer side effects as compared with chemotherapy drugs. Hellebrigenin, a component of Chanpi from the skin of Bufo bufogargarizans Cantor or Duttaphrynus melanostictus has been reported to have an obvious anti-cancer activity on various cancers. However, the effect and mechanism of hellebrigenin on colorectal cancers were still unknown. Herein, the present study demonstrated hellebrigenin significantly reduced viability and triggered apoptosis via the intrinsic pathway in colorectal cancer cell lines HCT116 and HT29 in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, hellebrigenin led to a reduction of mitochondrial membrane potential. In addition, treatment with hellebrigenin could result in the induction of excessive reactive oxygen species, which led to cell apoptosis. These results indicated that hellebrigenin had anti-cancer potential in the treatment of colorectal cancers.