The present invention provides the application of shikonin in preparing medicine for inducing apoptosis. Shikonin has the molecular formula of C16H16O5 and the chemical name of (+)-5, 8-dihydroxy-2-(1-hydroxy-4-methyl-3-pentenyl)-1, 4-naphthoquinone, possesses optical activity, and constitutes one pair of antimers together with isoshikonin. The present invention has clinical application foreground owing to that shikonin can kill several kinds of drug resisting tumor cells in the effect higher than other available clinical medicines and possesses relatively low toxicity. |