Ethanol extract of Acanthopanax senticosus (Rupr. & Maxim.) Harms induces liver cancer cell apoptosis through inhibiting NF-κB

Cancer, one of the common diseases, leads to high morbidity and mortality worldwide (1). Among lots of cancers, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a kind of malignancies which induces by some factors, including persistent infection with hepatitis B virus or some food containing nitrosamines and alcohol (2,3). In addition, it also causes huge economic losses to the society. There are some main therapeutic methods for HCC, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. However, there are some serious side effects of these methods, including nausea, emesis and physical asthenia, which cannot be ignored and some patients cannot afford the high medical expenses (4). Therefore, efforts to seek the alternative and effective therapies for HCC need to be intensified. The Acanthopanax senticosus (Rupr. & Maxim.) Harms, also known as edible tonic in China, is a shrub which widely distributes in Northeast Asia and Siberia. It possesses a wide range of active compounds, such as diterpenoids, triterpenoids, lignans and phenylpropanoids (5,6). In addition, it has been traditionally used as a folk medicine Original Article