Objective: To research the inhibitory effect on SGC-7901 cells of α-pinene, and the related mechanism of α-pinene. Methods: Used the MTT method to detect inhibition rate and western blotting to detect the influence on expression of ATM, Phos-S1981ATM, H2AX, γH2AX, CHK2 and p-CHK2, p53 and phos-p53 cell cycle related protein in SGC-7901 cells. Results: The research found α-pinene could inhibit the proliferation of SGC-7901 cells observably in vitro, and the inhibition rate assumes the dependence on concentration; and western blotting results showed that, α-pinene could activate phospho-ATM, increase the amount of γH2AX (p < 0.05, p < 0.05); increase the expression of p-CHK2, p53 and phos-p53 (p < 0.05, p < 0.05, p < 0.05); But there is no significant effect on expression of CHK2 (p > 0.05). Conclusions: α-pinene could inhibit the proliferation of SGC-7901 cells, and by inducing ATM (Ataxia Telangiectasia-Mutated) kinase signal pathway in DNA damage response, activating cell cycle checkpoint, making the cell cycle arrest then exerts its anti-tumor effects.