Background: Pine needle oil from crude extract of pine needles has anti-tumor effects, but the effectivecomponent is not known. Methods: In the present study, compounds from a steam distillation extract of pineneedles were isolated and characterized. Alpha-pinene was identified as an active anti-proliferative compound onhepatoma carcinoma BEL-7402 cells using the MTT assay. Results: Further experiments showed that α-pineneinhibited BEL-7402 cells by arresting cell growth in the G2/M phase of the cell cycle, downregulating Cdc25CmRNA and protein expression, and reducing cycle dependence on kinase 1(CDK1) activity. Conclusion: Takentogether, these findings indicate that α-pinene may be useful as a potential anti-tumor drug.
)