Cytotoxic sesquiterpene lactones mediate their death-inducing effect in leukemia T cells by triggering apoptosis

Cytotoxicity is a well characterized property of sesquiterpene lactones. In the present study, the question was addressed whether sesquiterpene lacton es mediate their cytotoxic effect by triggering apoptosis. Four compounds, ambrosin, alantolactone, hymenin and helenalin were shown to induce apoptos is in jurkat leukemia T cells as judged by cell morphology, the appearance of apoptotic nuclei as well as the translocation of phosphatidylserine to t he outer surface of the cell membrane.