Lappaconitine hydrochloride (LH), as a new synthetic alkaloid, exhibits antitumor activity, whereas its antitumor effect on colorectal cancer (CRC) has not been investigated. In this study, the effect of LH on HCT-116 cell proliferation and apoptosis in vivo and in vitro and underlying molecular mechanism were explored. The Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) was used to assess cell viability. Morphological change was observed by Hoechst 33342 staining. Cell cycle and apoptosis were performed using a flow cytometer. The western blot method was used to screen for related protein expression. The mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) was confirmed using the 5, 5, 6, 6'-tetrachloro-1, 1', 3, 3'-tetraethylbenzimi-dazolyl carbo cyanine iodide (JC-1) staining assay. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) was evaluated by a 20-70-dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) staining assay. The antitumor effect was evaluated in vivo by the xenograft HCT-116 model. The results showed that LH significantly inhibited cell viability in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. LH induced apoptosis and S phase cell cycle arrest. LH promoted the reduction of MMP and ROS accumulation. Moreover, LH activated the mitochondrial and MAPK pathway. The experiments in vivo showed that LH had significant antitumor effect in tumor-bearing mice, and had virtually no effect on the weight and internal organs of the mice. In conclusion, LH could induce apoptosis in HCT-116 cells through mitochondrial and MAPK signaling pathways. LH may be a promising treatment for CRC. CI - Copyright (c) 2021 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.