Prepare Esculetin and Study the Effect of Esculetin on Proliferation of Human Heptocellular Carcinoma Cell Line SMMC-7721 in Vitro

OBJECTIVE To prepare Esculetin and study the effect of Esculetin on proliferation of SMMC-7721 cell. METHODS Esculetin was isolated by polyamide chromatography. Esculetin was identified by TLC. The content of esculetin was tested by HPLC. MTT assay was adopted to evaluate cell proliferation. Distribution of cell cycle and apoptotic cell death were analyzed by flow cytometry. RESULTS The purity of Esculetin was 95% which was tested by HPLC. MTT assay showed that the inhibitory concentration 50% (IC50) of Esculetin was 2.24 mmol·L-1. Esculetin strongly inhibited growth of SMMC-7721 cell with dose-time dependent relationship. The result of FCM showed that G2/M phrase decreased and S phrase increased in SMMC-7721 cells with significant difference (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Esculetin could inhibit SMMC-7721 cell proliferation, disturbe the cell cycle progression and induce apoptosis.