Pholidonone, an active stilbene derivative from Pholidota cantonensis, exhibits pro-apoptotic effect via induction of endoplasmic reticulum stress in human gastric cancer

Gastric cancer (GC) is the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Current chemotherapeutic drugs exert therapeutic effects accompanied by severe side effects. Therefore, it is imperative to urgently find new drugs with low toxicity and high efficacy for the treatment of GC. Natural products as well as functional foods have always been rich sources of potential antitumor agents. Pholidota cantonensis Rolfe, a well-known functional food and a traditional Chinese medicine, has been used for a long time in China for inflammatory diseases. Previously, we have evaluated its possible antitumor potentials by screening different solvent extracts, and found that the ethyl acetate (EtOAc) extract showed potent cytotoxicity on human GC cell line AGS with an IC 50 value of 33.68 ± 1.68 μg/mL. In view of the poor knowledge concerning the phytochemical and pharmacological study of P. cantonensis , it is essential to characterize the active compounds from EtOAc extract and the mechanisms of action underlying the antitumor effect of the herb.