Dracorhodin perchlorate, an anthocyanin red pigment, induces human premyelocytic 
leukemia HL-60 cell death through apoptotic pathway. Caspase -1, -3, -8, -9, and 
-10 inhibitors partially reversed the cell death induced by dracorhodin 
perchlorate. Caspase-3 and -8 were activated followed to the degradation of 
caspase-3 substrates, inhibitor of caspase-activated DNase (ICAD) and 
poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Dracorhodin perchlorate up-regulated the 
expression ratio of mitochondrial proteins, Bax/Bcl-XL. The cell death was 
accompanied with phosphorylation of ERK, JNK and p38 MAPK and partially reduced 
by MEK inhibitor (PD98059), JNK MAPK inhibitor (SP600125) and p38 MAPK inhibitor 
(SB 203580). Taken together, dracorhodin perchlorate-induced apoptosis in HL-60 
cells via up-regulation of Bax, activation of caspases and ERK/p38/JNK MAPKs.