EFFECT OF ASPERGILLUS-TERREUS EXTRACT ON NEOPLASTIC AND NONNEOPLASTICCELL REPLICATION

There are very few and unconfirmed data regarding the antineoplastic a ctivity of mycotic derivates in human cells. The effects on neoplastic and non-neoplastic cell replication of Aspergillus terreus extracts h ave been tested. In fact, among different species of Aspergillus mycot oxin producers. A. terreus seems to be more suitable for hypothetical therapeutic purposes because of its low mycotoxin toxicity. Very evide nt antiblastic activity of alcoholic crude extract of A. terreus on tu mor cells has been demonstrated. Doses between 3.1 and 6.2 inhibited m ore than 50% of tumor cells; the same effect was obtained with doses > 25 mu g/ml on non neoplastic cells. The action of the crude extract d oes not influence cellular cAMP in either neoplastic or non-neoplastic cells. The antiblastic action seems to depend primarily on the inhibi tory effect of DNA duplication. Some chromatographed fractions of the mycotic extract showed inhibiting or enhancing effects on fell growth.