LAUSR

BACKGROUND Amygdalin (Vitamin B-17) is a naturally occurring vitamin found in the seeds of the fruits of Prunus Rosacea family including apricot, bitter almond, cherry, and peach. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of amygdalin with and without zinc on hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cell line. METHODS MTT assay was used to evaluate the cytotoxicity of amygdalin without zinc, amygdalin + 20µmol zinc, and amygdalin + 800µmol zinc on HepG2 cell lines. The cell cycle distribution assay was determined by flow cytometry. Apoptosis was confirmed by Annexin V-FITC/PI staining assay. Moreover, the pathway of apoptosis was determined by the percentage of change in the mean levels of P53, Bcl2, Bax, cytochrome c, and caspase-3. RESULTS Amygdalin without zinc showed a strong anti-HepG2 activity. Furthermore, HepG2 cell lines treatment with amygdalin + 20µmol zinc and amygdalin + 800µmol zinc showed a highly significant apoptotic effect than the effect of amygdalin without zinc. Amygdalin treatment induced the cell cycle arrest at G2/M and increased the levels of P53, Bax, cytochrome c, and caspase-3 significantly, while it decreased the level of anti-apoptotic Bcl2. CONCLUSION Amygdalin is a natural anti-cancer agent which can be used for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. It promotes apoptosis via the intrinsic cell death pathway (the mitochondria-initiated pathway) and cell cycle arrest at G/M. The potency of amygdalin in HepG2 treatment increased significantly by the addition of zinc.