Corilagin, a unique component of the tannin family, has been identified in several medicinal plants. In previous literature, corilagin exhibited a marked anticancer property in a variety of human cancer cells. However, the biological effects of corilagin on gastric cancer and the mechanisms involved remain to be fully elucidated. In the present study, it was reported that corilagin induced inhibition of cell growth in SGC7901 and BGC823 cells in a concentration‑dependent manner. It was found that corilagin exhibited less toxicity towards normal GES‑1 cells. Furthermore, the study showed that corilagin induced the apoptosis of gastric cancer cells mainly via activating caspase‑8, ‑9, ‑3 and poly ADP‑ribose polymerase proteins. Simultaneously, it was verified that corilagin triggered autophagy in gastric cancer cells and the inhibition of autophagy improved the activity of corilagin on cell growth suppression. In addition, corilagin significantly increased intracellular reactive oxygen species production, which is important in inhibiting the growth of gastric cancer cells. Finally, it was shown that necroptosis cannot be induced by corilagin‑incubation in SGC7901 and BGC823 cell lines. Consequently, these findings indicate that corilagin may be developed as a potential therapeutic drug for gastric cancer.