Supita TanasawetWanida SukketsiriPennapa ChonpathompikunlertWanwimol KlaypraditMorakot SroyrayaPilaiwanwadee HutamekalinKasetsart UniversityThailand Institute of Scientific and Technological Research (TISTR)Mahidol UniversityPrince of Songkla UniversityCenter for Advanced Studies for Agriculture and FoodFaculty of Science2020-11-182020-11-182020-09-01Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research. Vol.19, No.9 (2020), 1835-184215969827159659962-s2.0-85092675146https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/60089© 2020 The authors. Purpose: To investigate the anti-cancer potential of astaxanthin from Litopenaeus vannamei encapsulated in liposomes (ASX) to treat lung cancer A549 cells. Methods: Lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells were cultured and treated with ASX, following which cell viability and nuclear staining were performed. Generation of ROS was identified by the DCFH-DA assay while tetramethylrhodamine ethyl ester was used to determine the mitochondrial membrane potential. Flow cytometry was applied to investigate caspase-3/7 activity and cell cycle distribution. Results: ASX inhibited growth of A549 in a concentration- and time- dependent manner. The IC50 values at 24, 48 and 72 h were 53.73, 22.85, 17.46 μg/mL, respectively (p < 0.05). After incubation with ASX, the morphological changes were observed in A549 cells following Hoechst 33342/PI fluorescent staining. ASX increased ROS generation and was associated with the collapse of mitochondrial membrane potential, which subsequently triggered the activation of caspase-3/7 activity leading to apoptosis (p < 0.05). In addition, A549 cells accumulated in the G0/G1 phase. Conclusion: The results suggest that ASX is a valuable nutraceutical agent to target A549 lung cancer cells via ROS-dependent pathway as well as blockage of cell cycle progression.Mahidol UniversityMedicineArticleSCOPUS10.4314/tjpr.v19i9.6