Objective:To study the effects of medicine-containing serum for different combinations of Banxia Xiexin Recipe on BGC-823 cell apoptosis and its mechanisms.Methods:MTT method was used to observe effects of medicine-containing serum for different combinations of Banxia Xiexin Recipe on proliferation of BGC-823 cells

DNA gel electrophoresis used to detect cellular apoptosis

and S-P immunohistochemical method used to investigate expression of apoptosis-related gene bcl-2.Results:Growth of BGC-823 cells was significantly inhibited in the pungent-opening group

the bitter-descending group and the pungent-bitter group

which was significantly higher than that in the pungent-sweet group

bitter-sweet group

the sweet-invigorating group and the complete recipe group（P<0.05）

with a dose-effect relation.After action of 10% medicine-containing serum for 48 hours

a more typical “scalariform band” could be seen on the DNA agar gel electrophoresis

and bcl-2 gene expression was down-regulated.Conclusion:The combination of pungent-opening or bitter-descending components in the Banxia Xiexin Recipe has the actions of inhibiting proliferation of BGC-823 cells and inducing cell apoptosis

and after the combination of pungent-opening or bitter-descending components（Pungent-bitter） has a significant tendency to cooperatively increase the effect

but other combinations maybe have antagonism.It is suggested that pungent-opening and bitter-descending method is possibly one of main therapeutic principles and methods for prevention and treatment of gastric cancer with TCM.