Manilkara zapota (L.) P. Royen Leaf Water Extract Induces Apoptosis in Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HepG2) Cells via ERK1/2/Akt1/JNK1 Signaling Pathways

Figure 6

Apoptotic activities in HepG2 cells after treatment with Manilkara zapota leaf water extract and 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) for 72 h. Apoptotic protein expression of (a) Bax and Bcl-2, (b) Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, and (c) Caspase-3 and -8 activities in HepG2 cells treated with Manilkara zapota leaf water extract. Values are reported as mean ± SD (n = 3). Value with different superscript letter indicates significant difference between groups by Tukey’s test (P < 0.05). (a) Treatment with 96 μg/mL of Manilkara zapota leaf water extract significantly upregulated Bax protein level (p < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference between 24 and 48 μg/mL of Manilkara zapota leaf water extract (P > 0.05). Bcl-2 expression was significantly reduced after treatment with Manilkara zapota leaf water extract (P < 0.05). (b) Treatment of HepG2 cells with Manilkara zapota leaf water extract significantly induced a dose-dependent increase in the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio (P < 0.05). (c) The cells treated with Manilkara zapota leaf water extract at 48 μg/mL significantly increase the caspase-3 activity compared with the control (untreated cells) (P < 0.05). Treatment with Manilkara zapota leaf water extract at 24 μg/mL for 72 h also significantly upregulated the caspase-8 activity (P < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference in caspase-8 activity between 48 and 96 μg/mL (P > 0.05).

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