Potential Therapeutic Efficacy of Curcumin in Liver Cancer

Abstract

Purpose: Liver cancer, one of the most common cancers in China, is reported to feature relatively highmorbidity and mortality. Curcumin (Cum) is considered as a drug possessing anti-angiogenic, anti-inflammationand anti-oxidation effect. Previous research has demonstrated antitumor effects in a series of cancers. Materialsand <br/><b>Methods</b>: In this study the in vitro cytotoxicity of Cum was measured by MTT assay and pro-apoptotic effectswere assessed by DAPI staining and measurement of caspase-3 activity. In vivo anti-hepatoma efficacy of Cumwas assessed with HepG2 xenografts. <br/><b>Results</b>: It is found that Cum dose-dependently inhibited cell growth inHepG2 cells with activation of apoptosis. Moreover, Cum delayed the growth of liver cancer in a dose-dependentmanner in nude mice. <br/><b>Conclusions</b>: Cum might be a promising phytomedicine in cancer therapy and furtherefforts are needed to explore this therapeutic strategy.