Objective To investigate the inhibitory effect of alantolactone on glioma C6 cells and its possible mechanism. Methods Rat glioma cell line C6 cells were cultured in vitro. The effect of AL on the viability of C6 cells was detected by MTT assay. The effect of AL on migration and invasion of C6 cells was assessed by scratch test and Transwell chamber assay. Flow cytometry was used to detect the effect of AL on the induction of apoptosis in C6 cells, and the effects of AL on mitochondrial membrane potential in C6 cells was detected using JC -1 fluorescent probe. Western blot was used to detect the expression of related proteins in C6 cells after AL treatment. Results AL significantly inhibited the proliferation of C6 cells in a time? and dose?dependent manner. After AL treatment for 24 hours, the migration and invasion of C6 cells were significantly inhibited, N?cadherin protein was significantly decreased and E?cadherin protein was significantly increased, the number of apoptotic cells increased obviously while the mitochondrial membrane potential decreased significantly. The protein expressions of PARP/ cleaved caspase - 3/ cleaved caspase - 9 were significantly up?regulated. Conclusions AL inhibits the proliferation of glioma C6 cells by inhibiting their migration and invasion through regulating the protein expression of cadherin and inducing apoptosis in C6 cells by regulating the cytochrome C/ caspase signaling pathway.