Flavanones demonstrate a propensity to antiproliferation and induce apoptosis of malignant cells. Among the 4 flavanones under study, 2'-hydroxyflavanone exhibited the greatest potency to reduce the cell viability of 143 B cells in 4 osteosarcoma cells. Flow cytometry analysis showed that 2'-hydroxyflavanone increased the hypodiploid cells in the sub-G1 phase but resulted in the reduced DNA content in the G0/G1 phase in 143 B cells. The 2'-hydroxyflavanone-induced apoptosis in 143 B cells was confirmed by 4'-6-diamidino-2-phenylindole staining and mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm) assay. Increasing expressions of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) and death receptor 5 (DR5) were found in 2'-hydroxyflavanone-treated cells. Moreover, 2'-hydroxyflavanone increased the expressions of B-cell lymphoma-extra small, cytochrome c, and cleavage poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase but downregulated B-cell lymphoma/leukemia-2expressions in 143 B cells. Furthermore, in vivo experiments showed that 2'-hydroxyflavanone inhibited the tumor growth of 143 B cells. 2'-hydroxyflavanone induced the apoptosis of 143 B cells via the extrinsic TRAIL- and intrinsic mitochondrial-dependent pathways, indicating its potential for inducing cancer apoptosis in osteosarcoma.
