The role of mitochondria in esculetin induced apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells was investigated by examining change in status of mitochondrial membrane potential during treatment and determining the levels of cytosolic cytochrome C. In all the three cell lines, flow cytometric analysis of esculetin treated and untreated cells, stained with JC-1, presented a significant decrease in ratio of red (JC-1 aggregates) to green fluorescence (JC-1 monomers) on esculetin treatment (Fig. 3a, b; Additional file 2: Figure S2A,B,C). The gene discussed is CYCS; the disease is familial pancreatic carcinoma.