CASP3 and breast cancer: These effects were accompanied by upregulated expression of pro-apoptotic markers BAX (6.03-fold) and caspase-3 (6.59-fold), alongside reduced expression of anti-apoptotic BCL-2 [74].Research by Cheng Lin et al. revealed that Clematis hederagenin saponin (CHS) significantly downregulates the expression levels of mitochondrial apoptotic protease-activating factor-1 (Apaf-1) and cytochrome c proteins in breast cancer cells, while concurrently enhancing the activities of caspase-3 and caspase-9, ultimately inducing apoptosis through modulation of the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway [75].