Tannic acid synergistically enhances the anticancer efficacy of cisplatin on liver cancer cells through mitochondria-mediated apoptosis

Cisplatin (cis-dichlorodiamine platinum, CDDP) is a potent antitumor agent. However, its clinical application is limited by its side effects and the development of drug resistance. Tannic acid (TA) has previously been reported to suppress tumor growth in different types of cancer. The present study evaluated the anticancer efficacy of TA in combination with CDDP on the liver cancer cell line HepG2, and investigated the associated underlying molecular mechanisms. The results revealed that treatment with TA or CDDP alone inhibited HepG2 cell growth, with a half maximal inhibitory concentration of 360 mu M and 1.8 mu g/ml, respectively. The combination of TA and CDDP induced mitochondria-mediated apoptosis in HepG2 cells and significantly enhanced the growth inhibitory effect compared with TA or CDDP treatment alone. The results obtained from the present study suggest that the combination of TA and CDDP may exert synergistic anticancer effects and may be a novel adjuvant treatment for liver cancer.