Apoptotic Effect of Capsaicin on Colon Cancer (Caco-2) Cells via Bcl-2, P53 and Caspase-3 Pathways

Entissar S. Al-Suhaibani | Nermin A. El-Morshedi

Abstract: Capsaicin (8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-nonenamide), possesses anti-proliferative properties that can be used as anticancer intervention as promising cancer chemo-preventive constituent. We investigated capsaicin inhibitory activity against colon cancer (Caco-2) cells viability or proliferation. Cells were incubated with capsaicin at concentrations, 300M/L, 500M/L, 700M/L and 900M/L for 72h at 37C and 5 %CO2. Capsaicin induced Caco-2 cell death in a dose-dependent manner. Capsaicin-treated cells showed typical characteristics of apoptosis including inhibited the viability and proliferation of treated Caco-2 cells in vitro even by DNA fragmentation, cytological alterations. Protein over expression of caspase-3, in the capsaicin-treated cells was obviously seen. Also, Bcl-2 expression was down-regulated, whereas p53 expression was increased. Future study will may deal with further investigations of capsaicin possible usages as a new alternative or complementary chemotherapeutic agent for human cancer types specially colon cancer type.

Keywords: capsaicin, Caco-2 Cells, p53, Bcl-2, caspase-3

Edition: Volume 4 Issue 4, April 2015,

Pages: 2283 - 2287