Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Public Health 2251-6085 49 11 2020 10 27 2103 2110 Yibing LIU Department of Medical Oncology, Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China Qingju MENG Department of Orthopedics, The First Hospital of Xingtai, Xingtai, Hebei Province, China Li JING Department of Medical Oncology, Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China Li FENG Department of Medical Oncology, Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China Zhiguo ZHOU Department of Medical Oncology, Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China Zhiyu NI School of Basic Medical Science, Hebei University, The Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Bao ding, Hebei Province, China 2020 06 28 2020 08 20 Background: To study the anti-cancer effect of isoalantolactone, a sesquiterpene    lactoneisolated from the roots of Inula heleniumon human gynecologic cancer cells. Methods: A structure-activity relationship experiment was designed to identify the functional moiety of isoalantolactone for its significant anti-cancer activity. Five gynecologic cancer cell lines were treated with isoalantolactone. Cell proliferation was determined by MTT assay in vitro and cell apoptosis by flow cytometry. Results: We found isoalantolactone strongly inhibited the cell proliferationofHEC-1, HAC-2, HOC-21, and HeLa cells. Its inhibitory effect was comparable to that of well-known chemotherapeutic agents, cisplatin and taxol. Furthermore, isoalantolactone induced apoptosis in HeLa cells via caspase. On the contrary, its 11, 13-dihydro derivatives had much weaker anti-proliferative activities than the parent compound. Conclusion: Isoalantolactone exhibited strong anti-proliferative activities and apoptosis-inducing effects on gynecologic cancer cells. The 11, 13-dehydro lactone moiety was critical for its anti-proliferative activity. https://ijph.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijph/article/view/21280 https://ijph.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijph/article/download/21280/7037