Fig. 1

Emodin reduces the cell viability and induces apoptosis in human colon cancer cells. Colon epithelial cells (CCD 841 CoN) and colon cancer (CoCa) cells (DLD-1 and COLO 201) were treated with increasing concentrations of Emodin (0–80 μM) for 24 h (white bar) 48 h (grey bar) and 72 h (black bar). MTT assay was used to measure cell viability and EC₅₀ was determined via a linear regression (a). DLD-1 and COLO 201 cells were treated with EC₅₀ of Emodin 18 μM and 15 μM, respectively and apoptosis was assessed by staining with FITC-conjugated Annexin V and 7-AAD (b). The percentage of necrotic, late and early apoptotic and non-apoptotic cells are shown in Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4. c Bar diagrams show percentage changes in necrotic, late and early apoptotic, and non-apoptotic cells as mean ± SEM from three independent experiments. Asterisks (*) p < 0.05, (**) p < 0.01, (***) p < 0.001, show significant change compared with the control