According to Pucci and college , there is an important linkage between the apoptosis and the cell cycle because mitosis and apoptosis express close morphological characteristics and so the effects of madecassic acid (2) and compound 8 on the cell cycle profile of HepG2 cells was investigated using PI staining, 24 hours post compound treatment. With 1 x GI50 of madecassic acid (2), there was a reduction in the proportion of cells in G0/G1 and G2/M with a concomitant increase in cells in S phase (Table and). The effects at 3 x GI50 of compound 2 were different, with the cell number at both S phase and G2/M reduced and a high number of cells in G0/G1, when compared the vehicle control (0.5% DMSO). In contrast to madecassic acid (2), compound 8 induced cell cycle arrest in S phase with a concomitant decrease in the number of cells in G2/M whilst the number of cells in G0/G1 phase was unchanged compared with the vehicle control at both 1 and 3x GI50 of compound 8.