CASP8 and cancer: Induction of apoptosis is supposed to be the crucial factor responsible for the anti-cancer property of evodiamine, it has been shown that evodiamine could alter the balance between pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 and anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family member proteins, and induce apoptosis by activation of either initiator caspase (caspase-9 and caspase-8) or effector caspase (caspase-3) [21].