Baicalein-rich fraction of Oroxylum indicum triggers mitochondrialmediated apoptosis pathway through MAPK transduction in cervical cancer cells

Baicalein was proved to have an apoptotic effect on a wide range of cancer cells in numerous studies. In this study, the apoptotic effect of baicalein-rich fraction from Oroxylum indicum leaves on human cervical cancer cells (SiHa and HeLa) were investigated. In this case, BRF-induced cell death was regulated by the activation of JNK/p38 and deactivation of ERK. Apart from that, BRF was able to trigger mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis pathway by downregulating Bcl-2 as well as upregulating Bax, caspase-9 and caspase-3. Indeed, MAPK transduction was found to be involved in BRF action in modulating mitochondrial Bcl-2 family, Bcl-2 and Bax. In SiHa cells, ERK and p38 pathway regulated BRF stimulation on mitochondrial-mediated pathway. Yet, BRF-induced this apoptosis pathway in ERK/JNK/p38-dependent manner in HeLa cells. Therefore, BRF induced and augmented the cell death of human cervical cancer cells through MAPK transduction.