The flavonoid morin from Moraceae induces apoptosis by modulation of Bcl-2 family members and Fas receptor in HCT 116 cells.

It is evident based on literature that flavonoids from fruit can safely modulate cancer cell biology and induce apoptosis. Therefore, we investigated the anticancer activity of morin, a flavonoid which is plentiful in twigs of mulberry focusing on apoptosis, and its mechanisms. Morin upregulated the Fas receptor, and activates caspase-8, -9 and -3 in HCT-116 cells. Morin also activates Bid, and induced the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP, ∆Ψm) with Bax protein activation and cytochrome c release. In addition, morin induced ROS generation which was not blocked by N-acetylcysteine. Morin also suppressed Bcl-2 and cIAP-1, anti-apoptotic proteins, which may contribute to augmentation of morin-triggered apoptosis. As an upstream signaling pathway, suppressed Akt activity by morin was associated to apoptosis. This study suggests that morin induces caspase-dependent apoptosis through extrinsic pathway by upregulating Fas receptor as well as through the intrinsic pathway by modulating Bcl-2 and IAP family members, and ROS generation, and that Akt is the critical upstream signaling that regulates the apoptotic effect of morin in human colon cancer HCT-116 cells.