A key novel finding of the present study was that treatment of glioma cells with Rc TR extract resulted in an increase in the number of the cleaved PARP1-positive glioma cells compared to the control cells, i.e. those not treated with Rc TR extract; this suggests that Rc TR extract containing phenolic acids and flavonoids induced apoptosis through the involvement of caspase cascade and PARP inactivation. The gene discussed is PARP1; the disease is central nervous system cancer.