The Pinobanksin-3-acetate (PB3A) is a natural flavonoid commonly present in propolis, honey, and many plants. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the anticancer activity of the PB3A on the human colon cancer in vitro. The effect of different concentrations of PB3A, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and a combination of PB3A and 5-FU for different durations on the proliferation of the cell line HCT-116 is analyzed by the MTT assay. The morphological changes of HCT-116 cells are observed by the inverted photo microscopy after treatment with different concentrations of PB3A for 24 h. The 24 h apoptotic rates of the HCT-116 cells induced with PB3A and 5-FU are determined by the FCM with Annexin V-FITC/PI double labeling. The results show that the PB3A has a significant inhibitory effect on the HCT-116 cell proliferation and in a time-and dose-dependent manner, and an additive or synergistic effect is shown with the common chemotherapy drug 5-FU. The PB3A could induce the typical changes of cell morphology in a dose-dependent manner. The FCM analysis shows that the PB3A could significantly increase the apoptosis rate in a dosedependent manner. The findings in this study suggest that the PB3A can play a potential anticancer role for the colon cancer in vitro, and it could induce the apoptosis.

Pinobanksin-3-acetate(PB3A)  /  cell line HCT-116  /  MTT assay  /  apoptosis