Study on Chemical Constituents and Cytotoxicity of Scutellaria barbata D. Don Oil Against SMMC-7721

Abstract

The anti-neoplastic activities of Scutellaria barbata D. Don have been extensively studied for many years. To investigate the constituents and cytotoxicity of fatty oils extracted from different parts of Scutellaria barbata D. Don, namely seeds, stems, leaves, roots, and flowers, the oils were derived and analyzed using GC-MS. The anti-hepatoma activities of these fatty oils against the SMMC-7721 cell line were evaluated through cell viability assay, Hoechst 33258 staining, and V-FITC/PI staining assay. Western blot analysis quantified apoptosis-related proteins in SMMC-7721 cells treated with SBO. The results demonstrated that SBO exhibited significant anti-hepatoma activities. Fluorescent microscope analysis revealed nucleus shrinkage or fragmentation in cells incubated with SBO, while flow cytometry confirmed pro-apoptotic effects. Protein analysis indicated that SBO induced apoptosis by down-regulating Bcl-2 and p-STAT3, up-regulating Bax, as well as activating caspase 9, caspase 8, and caspase 3 cleavage. The potential mechanisms of SBO-induced apoptosis involved the caspase-8/caspase-3 pathway, the Bcl-2/bax/caspase-9/caspase-3 pathway, and the IL-6/STAT3 pathway.