PARTIAL-PURIFICATION OF TUMOR REDUCING PRINCIPLE FROM HELICANTHIS-ELASTICUS (FAM LORANTHACEAE)

Extracts from plants of Loranthaceae family collected from 15 host tre es were screened for their cytocidal activity to tumour cells. Biologi cally active extracts prepared from Helicanthis elasticus grown on Man gifera indica and Citrus maxima (host trees) were partially purified b y the gel filtration method. The purified material was found to be cyt otoxic in vitro and reduced solid and ascites tumours in mice when giv en either simultaneously or prophylactically. The partially purified m aterial was found to be a protein with a molecular weight of approxima tely 80 000 Da.