Licochalcone B Extracted from Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch Induces Apoptotic Effects in Human Hepatoma Cell HepG2

• Published in: Journal of agricultural and food chemistry Vol. 67; no. 12; pp. 3341 - 3353
• Main Authors: Wang, Jun, Liao, Ai-Mei, Thakur, Kiran, Zhang, Jian-Guo, Huang, Ji-Hong, Wei, Zhao-Jun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Chemical Society 27.03.2019
• Subjects: Apoptosis - drug effects; Caspase 9 - genetics; Caspase 9 - metabolism; Cell Cycle Checkpoints - drug effects; Cell Proliferation - drug effects; Chalcones - analysis; Chalcones - isolation & purification; Chalcones - pharmacology; Glycyrrhiza uralensis - chemistry; Hep G2 Cells; Humans; Liver Neoplasms - drug therapy; Liver Neoplasms - genetics; Liver Neoplasms - metabolism; Liver Neoplasms - physiopathology; Mitochondria - drug effects; Mitochondria - metabolism; Plant Extracts - analysis; Plant Extracts - isolation & purification; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plant Roots - chemistry; apoptosis; HepG2 cells; mechanisms; Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch; licochalcone B
• ISSN: 0021-8561; 1520-5118
• DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.9b00324

The present study explored the molecular mechanism by which licochalcone B induces the cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in human hepatoma cell HepG2. Initial extraction and identification were performed by HPLC, UPLC-TOF-MS/MS, and NMR analysis, respectively. Licochalcone B inhibited the HepG2 growth with IC50 (110.15 μM) after 24 h, caused morphological distortion, and seized the cell cycle in the G2/M phase (cell arrest in G2/M:43.1 ± 2.2% for 120 μM versus 23.7 ± 1.2% for control), as well as induced apoptosis and intracellular ROS generation. Furthermore, exposure to licochalcone B markedly affected the cell cycle (up/down regulation) at mRNA and protein levels. Apoptosis was induced through the activation of receptor-mediated and mitochondrial pathways. The inhibition of Caspase 8 and Caspase 9 proteins abolished the licochalcone B induced apoptosis. The present work suggested that licochalcone B may further be identified as a potent functional food component with specific health benefits.