generation of reactive oxygen species mediates buteininduced apoptosis in neuroblastoma cells flavonoids exhibit chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic effects butein a bioactive flavonoid isolated from numerous native plants has been shown to induce apoptosis in human cancer cells in the current study the molecular mechanisms of butein action on cell proliferation and apoptosis of neuroblastoma cells were evaluated treatment with butein decreased the viability of neuro2a neuroblastoma cells in a dose and timedependent manner the dosedependent nature of buteininduced apoptosis was characterized by an increase in the subg1 phase population treatment with butein significantly increased intracellular reactive oxygen species roslevels and reduced the bcl2bax ratio triggering the cleavage of procaspase 3 and polyadpribose polymerase parp pretreatment with the antioxidant agent nacetyl cysteine nac blocks buteininduced ros generation and cell death nac also recovers buteininduced apoptosisrelated protein alteration in conclusion buteintriggered neuroblastoma cells undergo apoptosis via generation of ros alteration of the bcl2bax ratio and cleavage of procaspase 3 and parp our results suggest that butein may serve as a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of neuroblastoma