Dehydrocostuslactone is a sesquiterpene lactone derived from Saussurea lappa, a plant used in traditional herbal medicines. The anti-proliferative activity of dehydrocostuslactone was investigated in human breast cancer (MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-453 and SK-BR-3) and ovarian cancer (SK-OV-3 and OVCAR3) cell lines using the methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assay. In the cells, exposure to dehydrocostuslactone resulted in a dose-dependent decline in cell proliferation. The IC50 value was found to be 21.5, 43.2, 25.6, 15.9 and 10.8 µM in MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-453, SK-BR-3, SK-OV-3 and OVCAR3 cells, respectively. Dehydrocostuslactone exerted its antiproliferative effects by inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Cell cycle distribution and apoptosis were analyzed using flow cytometry in cell lines exposed to 10 µM dehydrocostuslactone for 48 h. Compared to the controls, exposure to dehydrocostuslactone resulted in accumulation in the G2/M phase and a marked increase in the apoptotic cell population. These results suggest that dehydrocostuslactone has potential anticancer properties.

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