en Life Science Life Science مقاله پژوهشی Original Research Article <span style="font-size:10pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="background:#2d7f8f"><span style="color:white">Background & Objective:</span></span></span></b><span style="font-size:9.0pt"> Melanoma, one of the most lethal cancers, originates from epidermal layer. An advanced type of malignant melanoma represents a poor response to chemotherapy or other medications due to intrinsic and/or acquired resistance to antineoplastic drugs. Taraxasterol is a pentacyclic-triterpene agent mainly extracted from Dandelion herb with anti-proliferative and apoptotic features on cancer cells. Thus, this paper investigated the apoptosis pathway caused by Taraxasterol in the human melanoma cell line (hMCL).</span><b> </b><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="color:black"></span></span></span></span><br> <span style="font-size:10pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><b><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="background:#2d7f8f"><span style="color:white"><span style="letter-spacing:-.1pt">Materials & Methods:</span></span></span></span></b> <span style="font-size:9.0pt">hMCLs were treated with Taraxasterol and IC50 index was calculated using MTT assay. Then, apoptosis rate was evaluated by DNA Fragmentation Calorimetric technique. Finally, apoptosis pathway was investigated through various molecular laboratory assays.</span></span></span><br> <span style="font-size:10pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><b><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="background:#2d7f8f"><span style="color:white">Results:</span></span></span></b> <span style="font-size:9.0pt">Low cellular viability level was found as concentration and time-dependent routes. Induction of apoptosis by IC50 value of Taraxasterol was found significantly (p<0.05) effective. Mitochondria membrane potential index was reduced by Taraxasterol significantly (p<0.05). Also, the cytosolic levels of cytochrome C and expression level of caspase 3, 8, and 9 genes in hMCL were increased significantly (p<0.05) following Taraxasterol administration. </span><b>&nbsp;</b><b>&nbsp;</b><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="color:black"><span style="letter-spacing:-.1pt"></span></span></span></span></span><br> <span style="font-size:10pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="background:#2d7f8f"><span style="color:white">Conclusion: </span></span></span></b><span style="font-size:9.0pt">Taraxasterol represents anti-proliferative and toxic effects against hMCL by induction of apoptosis.</span><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"></span></b></span></span><br> &nbsp; Apoptosis, Taraxasterol, Melanoma, Cell line, In vitro 288 298 http://journal.zums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-6931-2&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Amir Abdolmaleki enjoyanatomy@gmail.com 5200319475328460089475 5200319475328460089475 No Department of Operating Room, Nahavand School of Allied Medical Sciences, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran. Mona Pazhouhi mona.pazhouhi@gmail.com 5200319475328460089476 5200319475328460089476 No Kermanshah university of medical sciences Iraj Rashidi iraj570@yahoo.com 5200319475328460089477 5200319475328460089477 No Kermanshah university of medical sciences Saeid Heshmati saeedheshmati@gmail.com 5200319475328460089478 5200319475328460089478 No Kermanshah university of medical sciences Cyrus Jalili cjalili@yahoo.com 5200319475328460089479 5200319475328460089479 No Kermanshah university of medical sciences Fuzieh Khani-Hematabadi fuziekhani@yahoo.com 5200319475328460089480 5200319475328460089480 Yes Kermanshah university of medical sciences