In the previous reports,Crocodile choline(CCL),an active compound which was obtained from Siamese Crocodile,could inhibit the growth of cancer cells.It was indicated that CCL experted anti-cancer efficacy against cholangiocarcinoma cells and hepatocarcinoma cells.In this study,we evaluated the effects of CCL on human gastric cancer BGC823 cells.The results showed that CCL inhibited the proliferation of BGC823 cells by arresting cell cycle at G2/M phase and induced cell apoptosis.After the treatment of CCL,the ΔΨm of the cells was declined and cytochrome c was released to the cytoplasm.In addition,CCL treatment could down-regulate the protein level of Bcl-2 and up-regulate the Bax by approximately 49.7%(P< 0.01)and 59.8%(P< 0.01),compared with those of the control group,respectively.It initiated the activation of caspase-3,suggesting intrinsic pathway involvement in the apoptosis of BGC823 cells.On the other hand,Notch family members such as Notch-1,Hes-1,P21 were found to be down-regulated by the treatment of CCL.Moreover,it was demonstrated that the invasion ability of the cells was inhibited,and the expression levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 were reduced obviously.Therefore,CCL exerted anti-cancer efficacy against human BGC823 cells via the mitochondria-mediated intrinsic pathway and Notch pathway,which might have therapeutic potential for the treatment of human gastric cancer.