Pectolinarigenin a plant secondary metabolite that has various biological effects, including the inhibition of melanogenesis and tumor growth. Melanoma has a high degree of malignancy, with rapid metastasis and severe drug resistance, explaining the need for new candidate drugs that inhibit tumor growth and metastasis. However, the pharmacological action and mechanism of pectolinarigenin on the growth and metastasis of melanoma remain elusive. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the role of pectolinarigenin in melanoma cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion. Apoptotic and metastasis-associated proteins were analyzed using western blotting. The results demonstrated that pectolinarigenin treatment resulted in growth inhibition and apoptosis induction in melanoma cells, arising from the loss of mitochondrial transmembrane potential, reactive oxygen species and the altered expression of apoptosis-associated proteins. In addition, wound-healing and Transwell assays demonstrated the potential of pectolinarigenin to impair the migration and invasion of melanoma cells in accordance with the changes in the expression of the associated proteins. Therefore, the results of the present study suggested that pectolinarigenin may serve a pivotal role in promoting melanoma cell apoptosis and reducing metastasis, and may thus be a promising potential candidate for an anti-melanoma treatment strategy.