Induction of apoptosis by Saussurea lappa and Pharbitis nil on AGS gastric cancer cells.

We performed this study to understand the molecular basis underlying the antitumor effects of Saussurea lappa, Pharbitis nil, Plantago asiatica and Taraxacum mongolicum, which have been used for herbal medicinal treatments against cancers in East Asia. We analyzed the effects of these medicinal herbs on proliferation and on expression of cell growth/apoptosis related molecules, with using an AGS gastric cancer cell line. The treatments of Saussurea lappa and Pharbitis nil dramatically reduced cell viabilities in a dose and time-dependent manner, but Plantago asiatica and Taraxacum mongolicum didn't.