We investigated the inhibitory effects of solvent extracts from Ailanthus altissima in A549 human lung cancer cell. A. altissima has been recognized as a traditional healthy food due to its various biological activities against hypertension, strokes, fever, pain, neuralgia, inflammation, and cancer effects. Recently, it has been reported that the extracts of various wild vegetables show strong anti-cancer properties by induction of apoptosis. However, the mechanisms of their cytotoxicity in human lung cancer cells have been poorly understood. The present study was investigated the effects of solvent extracts from A. altissima on cell growth and apoptosis on A549 human lung cancer cells. A treatment of A. altissima inhibited the growth of A549 cells in a dose-dependent manner by inducing apoptosis. Especially, the chloroform fraction showed the highest anti-cancer effect among five kinds of fractions. And also, induction of apoptosis by chloroform fraction were associated with down-regulation of Bcl-2, and up-regulation of pro-apoptotic Bax expression. From these results, A. altissima may have a therapeutic potential in human lung cancer cells and as a functional food.

ABSTRACT
 I. INTRODUCTION
 II. Materials and Methods
  2.1 Reagents
  2.2 Sample Preparation and Fractionation
  2.3 Cells and Culture
  2.4 Cell Cytotoxicity Assay
  2.5 Real-time RT-PCR Analysis
  2.6 Statistical Analysis
 III. Results and Discussions
  3.1 Effect of the Ailanthus altissima fractions on cellcytotoxicity
  3.2 Altered Bax and Bcl-2 gene expression byAilanthus altissima in A549 cells
 ≫ Literature cited

• Yu-Jin Hwang(Dept. of Agrofood Resources, National Academy of Agricultural Science, RDA, Dept. of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Sungkyunkwan Univ.)
• Hye-Im Woo(Dept. of Agrofood Resources, National Academy of Agricultural Science, RDA, Dept. of Food & Nutrition, College of Human Ecology, Hanyang Univ.)
• Inhye Kim(Dept. of Agrofood Resources, National Academy of Agricultural Science, RDA, Dept. of Food & Nutrition, College of Human Ecology, Hanyang Univ.)
• Dong-Sik Park(Dept. of Agrofood Resources, National Academy of Agricultural Science, RDA)
• Jaehyun Kim(Dept. of Agrofood Resources, National Academy of Agricultural Science, RDA,)
• Ae-Son Om(Dept. of Food & Nutrition, College of Human Ecology, Hanyang Univ.)
• Kyung-A Hwang(Dept. of Agrofood Resources, National Academy of Agricultural Science, RDA) Corresponding author