Antitumor effects of baicalin on ovarian cancer cells through induction of cell apoptosis and inhibition of cell migration in vitro

Baicalin, an active flavone isolated from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, has been demonstrated to induce various beneficial biochemical effects such as anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and antitumor effects. However, the antitumor mechanism of baicalin is not well understood. In the present study, baicalin was demonstrated to inhibit the viability and migration of a widely used ovarian cancer cell line, A2780, in a dose-dependent manner. MTT assays revealed that cell viability significantly decreased in ovarian cancer cells treated with baicalin compared with untreated cells, without effect on normal ovarian cells. Flow cytometric analysis indicated that baicalin suppressed cell proliferation by inducing apoptosis. The underlying mechanisms involved were indicated to be downregulation of the anti-apoptotic protein B-cell lymphoma 2 apoptosis regulator and activation of caspase-3 and −9. In addition, wound healing and transwell assays revealed that cell migratory potential and expression of matrix metallopeptidase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 were significantly inhibited when cells were exposed to baicalin, compared with untreated cells. The present study therefore suggested that baicalin has the potential to be used in novel anti-cancer therapeutic formulations for treatment of ovarian cancer.