Latex of Ficus carica L. induces apoptosis through caspase and Bcl-2 family in FaDu human hypopharynx squamous carcinoma cells.

Abstract

Ficus carica L. (common Fig), which is one of the first plants cultivated by humans, originated in the Mediterranean basin and grows currently worldwide including southwest Asia and South Korea. This plant have been used as traditional medicine for treatment disease as hemorrhoids, metabolic, cardiovascular, respiratory, and skin infections. Its pharmacological properties have recently been studied in detail, but research on anti-cancer effect of latex has been limitedly studied on several cell lines, prostate cancer, breast cancer, and leukemia. In this study, we investigated the anti-cancer activity of latex and the underlying mechanism by latex on FaDu cells. We confirmed through SDS-PAGE analysis that latex of Ficus carica contains cysteine protease ficin. Our data showed that latex inhibited cell growth in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, latex treatment markedly induced apoptosis in FaDu cells as determined by FACS analysis. Latex also elevated expression level of cleaved caspase-9, -3 and PARP (poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase). Furthermore, latex increased the expression of Bax (pro-apoptotic factor) whereas decreased the expression of Bcl-2 (anti-apoptotic factor). Taken together, these results suggested that latex containing the ficin inhibited the cell growth and induced apoptosis by caspase and Bcl-2 family signaling pathway in FaDu cells. Therefore, latex can be provided as an novel chemotherapeutic drugs due to its growth inhibition effects and induction of apoptosis in human oral cancer cells.