Aim: To study the caspase-3-independent mechanisms in oridonin-induced MCF-7 human breast cancer cell apoptosis in vitro. Methods: The viability of oridonin-treated MCF-7 cells was measured by MTT (thiazole blue) assay. Apoptotic cells with condensed nuclei were visualized by phase contrast microscopy. Nucleoso-mal DNA fragmentation was assayed by agarose gel electrophoresis. The apoptotic ratio was determined by lactate dehydrogenase assay. Cell cycle alteation and mitochondrial membrane potential were measured by flow cytometric analysis. Bax, Bcl-2, caspase-3, caspase-9, heat shock protein (Hsp)90, p53, p-p53, p21, Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), and the inhibitor of caspase-activated Dnase (ICAD) protein expressions were detected by Weste blot analysis. Results: Oridonin inhibited cell growth in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Cell cycle was altered through the upregulation of p53 and p21 protein expressions. Pan-caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-fmk and calpain inhibitor Ⅱ both decreased cell death ratio. Nucleosomal DNA fragmentation and the downregulation of △ψmit were detected in oridonin-induced MCF-7 cell apoptosis, which was involved in a postmitochondrial caspase-9-dependent pathway. Decreased Bcl-2 and Hsp90 expression levels and increased Bax and p21 expression levels were positively correlated with elevated levels of phosphorylated p53 phosphorylation. Moreover, PARP was partially cleaved by calpain rather than by capase-3. Conclusion: DNA damage provoked alteations in the mitochondrial and caspase-9 pathways as well as p53-mediated cell cycle arrest, but was not related to caspase-3 activity in oridonin-induced MCF-7 cells.