Our results suggest that IBS and MBS induce apoptosis in BCL1 and JVM-13 cells and are in accordance to previous findings that shikonin induces a decrease in Bcl-2 and an increase in Bax expression, enhances the activities of caspase-3, and induces apoptotic cell death [26,27]. The gene discussed is CASP3; the disease is irritable bowel syndrome.