Taraxacum officinale induces cytotoxicity through TNF-α and IL-1α secretion in Hep G2 cells

Taraxacum officinale (TO) has been frequently used as a remedy for women's disease (e.g. breast and uterus cancer) and disorders of the liver and gallbladder. Several earlier studies have indicated that TO exhibits anti-tumor properties, but its mechanism remains to be elucidated. In this study, we investigated the effect of TO on the cytotoxicity and production of cytokines in human hepatoma cell line, Hep G2. Our results show that TO decreased the cell viability by 26%, and significantly increased the tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-1α production compared with media control (about 1.6-fold for TNF-α, and 2.4-fold for IL-1α, P < 0.05). Also, TO strongly induced apoptosis of Hep G2 cells as determined by flow cytometry. Increased amounts of TNF-α and IL-1α contributed to TO-induced apoptosis. Anti-TNF-α and IL-1α antibodies almost abolished it. These results suggest that TO induces cytotoxicity through TNF-α and IL-1α secretion in Hep G2 cells.