Antitumor effects of four licoflavones in vitro

Objective:The aim of this study was to investigate the antitumor effects of Isoliquiritigenin,Liquiritigenin,Isoliquiritin and Liquiritin in vitro.Methods:The proliferation and IC50 of four compounds on HL60,HT-1080,BEL-7402 cancer cell lines were assayed by SRB method in vitro.The morphology changes of tumor cells treated by drugs were observed by AO/EB fluorescence staining.Results:The inhibition effects of isoliquiritigenin on all three tumor cell lines were significant.Liquiritin inhibited proliferation of HL-60 cell obviously,but liquiritigenin and isoliquiritin has less toxicity to all three tumor cell lines.Conclusion:The antitumor activity of four licoflavones may be related to its mother rings crazing and hydroxy amounts on its side chains.Our results showed that isoliquiritigenin possess strong effects of inhibiting tumor cell proliferation in vitro,it may be a potential anti-cancer drug and need study further.