Emodin elicits cytotoxicity in human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells through inducing apoptosis.

This study investigated the mechanism of the cytotoxic effect of emodin, an active anthraquinone, on human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells. In vitro growth inhibition and suppression on colony forming were used to evaluate the effects of emodin on A549 cells. Emodin's ability in changing the expressions of apoptosis-related genes was studied by real-time RT-PCR.