EIF2A and hepatocellular carcinoma: Baicalein at a concentration of 200 μM upregulated BiP expression in hepatoma SMMC-7721 and Bel-7402 cells, activated PERK and IRE1 pathways and the phosphorylation of UPR downstream molecules CHOP and eIF2α, decreased the expression of Bcl-2, Bcl-xL and Mcl-1, activated caspase-9/3 and inhibited the DNA repair enzyme PARP to induce apoptosis; moreover, baicalein increased the conversion of LC-3I to LC-3II and promoted apoptosis by increasing cellular autophagy (Wang et al., 2014).