Background Cancer cachexia is a lethal metabolic syndrome induced by cancer and chemotherapy administration and characterized by marked muscle wasting. Although hormone-related cancer therapies have been used for treatment of the cachexia, they have several side effects. Thus, finding out the novel therapeutics for cachexia with minimal side effects is required to allow cancer patients to continue receiving chemotherapies.

Objective In the present study, muscle atrophy was induced by cisplatin on C2C12 myotubes and we examined whether 173 phytochemicals can ameliorate the muscle atrophy in vitro.

Results Cisplatin-induced muscle atrophy upregulated the IL-6 and myostatin expression. Three compounds; magnolol, fisetin, and sclareol markedly inhibited the IL-6 and myostatin expression. They also significantly improved the myotube diameter.

Conclusion Therefore, this study showed the protective effects of three phytochemicals in cisplatin-induced atrophy in vitro and these compounds may be promising therapeutic agents with the further investigation of in vivo potential in the cachexia mice model.