Differential control of growth, apoptotic activity and gene expression in human colon cancer cells by extracts derived from medicinal herbs, Rhazya stricta and Zingiber officinale and their combination

Figure 4 Crude alkaloid and flavonoid treatments trigger mitochondrial-dependent apoptotic pathway. HCT116 cells were treated with indicated concentrations of crude alkaloid extract of R. stricta (CAERS) and/or crude flavonoid extract of Z. officinale (CFEZO) for 24 h. A: Western blots for apopototic proteins in cytosolic and mitochondrial fractions; B: Western blotting (top panel) and qRT-PCR analysis for Bcl-2 and Bax. The histogram depicts the Bcl-2 (dark bars) and Bax (white bars) mRNA ratio measured by using densitometric analysis; C: Ethidium bromide staining of antiapoptotic and proapoptotic gene products obtained from qRT-PCR. M, DNA ladder.