International Journal of Medicinal Plants Research

International Journal of Medicinal Plants Research ISSN 2169-303X Vol. 14 (6), pp. 001-005, June, 2025. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Cytotoxic Effects of Angelica decursiva on Osteosarcoma Cells: Induction of Apoptosis and Inhibition of Proliferation

Sook-Young Lee1, Chun Sung Kim2, Seon-Ho Cho2, Hong Sung Chun3, Jong-Keun Kim4 and Do Kyung Kim2*

1Research Center for Oral Disease Regulation of the Aged, Chosun University College of Dentistry, Gwangju 501-759,
Korea
2Department of Oral Physiology, The second stage of BK21, Chosun University College of Dentistry, Gwangju 501-759,
Korea.
3Department of Biotechnology (BK21 Program), Chosun University, Gwangju 501-759, Korea.

4Department of Pharmacology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju 501-746, Korea.

Accepted 20 March, 2025

The Angelica decursiva has been used in Korean traditional medicine as an antitussive, an analgesic, an antipyretic and a cough remedy. However, its anticancer activity has been unknown. In this study, we have examined the cytotoxic activity of ethanol extract of A. decursiva root (EEAD), and the mechanism by which EEAD suppresses cell growth in Saos2 human osteogenic sarcoma cells. Treat-ment of EEAD in Saos2 cells induced the apoptic cell death in a concentration-dependent manner as determined by MTT assay and DNA fragmentation analysis but not in FOB human normal osteoblast cells. Furthermore, the proteolytic processing and the activity of caspase-3 and -7 were increased by EEAD treatment in Saos2 cells. These results suggest that EEAD can induce the suppression of cell growth and cell apoptosis in Saos2 human osteogenic sarcoma cells, and therefore, it may have potential properties for anticancer drug discovery.

Key words: Human osteogenic sarcoma cell, Angelica decursiva, apoptosis, caspases, anti-cancer therapy.