Acacetin, which is present in damiana (Turnera diffusa ) and black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia ), has several pharmacologic activities such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-proliferative effects on cancer cells. However, the effect of acacetin on head and neck cancers has not been clearly established. This study aimed to examine the effects of acacetin on cell growth and apoptosis induction in FaDu human pharyngeal carcinoma cells. These were investigated by 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay, Live/Dead cell assay, 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole dihydrochloride staining, caspase-3 and caspase-7 activation assay, and immunoblotting in FaDu cells. Acacetin induced FaDu cell death in a dose-dependent manner, with an estimated IC50 value of 41.9 µM, without affecting the viability of L-929 mouse fibroblasts as normal cells. Acacetin treatment resulted in nuclear condensation in the FaDu cells. It promoted the proteolytic cleavage of procaspase-3, -7, -8, and -9 with increasing amounts of the cleaved caspase isoforms in FaDu cells. Acacetin-induced apoptosis in FaDu cells was mediated by the expression of Fas and activation of caspase-8, caspase-3, and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase. Immunoblotting showed downregulation of the anti-apoptotic mitochondrial proteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL, but upregulation of the mitochondria-dependent pro-apoptotic proteins Bax and Badin FaDu cells after acacetin treatment. These findings indicate that acacetin inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptotic cell death in FaDu human pharyngeal carcinoma cells via both the death receptor-mediated extrinsic apoptotic pathway and the mitochondria-mediated intrinsic apoptotic pathway.

Although whole crop barley are now widely grown as a silage crop in Korea, but silage quality of the whole crop barley produced from farmer's fields have not been published. Therefore, this experiment was conducted to evaluate forage quality of whole crop barley which was participated in Korean quality contest in 2008. These data were classified by region, forage production, added inoculants, planting date and harvest date. Difference on lactic acid of barley silage was detected in the region (p＜0.05), however, there no significant differences in other chemical composition. The moisture and lactic acid were significant differences in dry matter yield of barley silage. There is all the difference between silage added inoculants and control. Differences between planting dates in ash and crude protein (CP) were detected in barley silage (p＜0.05). From comparison within harvest date, lactic acid ㏊d significant differences among barley silage. Differences in forage quality were observed among whole crop barley for silage. Therefore, nutritional quality as well as lactic acid is important in silage quality contest of whole crop barley.