Esculetin modulates cytotoxicity induced by oxidants in NB4 human leukemia cells.

•Esculetin (100μM), a polyphenolic antioxidant compound, induces apoptosis on human NB4 cells.•Since apoptosis involves redox imbalance, co-treatments with esculetin and oxidants are assayed.•Esculetin (100μM) prevents the increase of apoptosis and the superoxide anion production promotes by t-BHP.•H2O2 potentiates cell death acting synergistically with esculetin.•Increases of apoptosis by H2O2 plus esculetin may be related to increments of O2−.