• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.270-275
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• 2006

[ $2{\beta},\;3{\alpha}$ ], 23-trihydroxyrus-12-ene-28-oic acid was isolated from Trapa pseudoincisa S. et Z. It has a common structure of pentacyclic triterpenes and belongs to the amyrin ursolic acid group. The cytotoxic effect of this compound was investigated in human hepatoma cell line HepG2. $2{\beta},\;3{\alpha}$, 23-trihydroxyrus-12-ene-28-oic acid showed dose-dependent cytotoxicity in HepG2 cells. Confocal microscopy data showed that green fluorescence was increased in $2{\beta},\;3{\alpha}$, 23-trihydroxyrus-12-ene-28-oic acid treated-HepG2 cells in a time-dependent manner. $2{\beta},\;3{\alpha}$, 23-trihydroxyrus-12-ene-28-oic acid also increased the sub-G1 cell population of HepG2 cells as well as ladder-like DNA fragmentation. Taken together, our results indicate that $2{\beta},\;3{\alpha}$, 23-trihydroxyrus-12-ene-28-oic acid induced apoptosis in HepG2 cells.