Objective To investigate the effects of evodiamine on autophagy of human colon a cleno carcinoma lovo cells, and to explore the role and mechanism of autophagy which was induced by evodiamine (EVO). Methods MTT assay combined with the morphologic changes were used to observe the cell viability. Monodansylcadaverine was used to detect autophagy by fluorospectrophotometer and the confocal laser fluorescence microscopy respectively. Immunoblotting assay was used to observe the microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3. Finally, evodiamine combined with 3-methyladenine to detect the cell viability with MTT assay and the apoptosis with the flow cytometry, respectively.Results Evodiamine inhibited the viability of Lovo cells in dose-dependent manner ( P ＜ 0. 05 ), especially in 60 μmol/L that was obviously(60% ). Further more, the cell lysis and cell gap widened was observed by the light microscope. Evo triggered the autophagy, and after inhibition the autophagy by 3-MA, the killing capacities of the Evo was enhanced ( P ＜ 0. 01 ). However, autophagy prohibited the apoptosis pathways.Conclusions Evodiamine can trigger the autophagy, which might play a self-defense role in evodiamineinduced cell death. The cytototoxicity of evodiamine can be augmented by the autophagy inhibitors. The joint application of autophagy regulators with the chemotherapeutic agents might enhance the cell killing effects of chemotherapeutic drugs and show a potent role in cancer drug resistance.