DETECTION OF ANTIVIRAL AND ANTITUMORAL FRACTIONS OF CHENOPODIUM AMARANTICOLOR LEAF EXTRACT

Based on the fact that Chenopodium amaranticolor extracts showed inhib itory activity against tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) and Ehrlich tumour ( EA), tests were carried out to investigate whether the antiviral and a ntitumoral activity were caused by the same compounds. When the extrac t was purified by CM Sephadex C-25 column, after precipitation with 90 % ammonium sulphate, twenty active fractions against TMV and two pools of fractions active against EA were obtained. Only one fraction with high absorbance values at 260 and 280 nm was able to inhibit both TMV and EA. When the extract was purified by Bio Gel P-60 column two activ e fractions against TMV and EA were obtained, suggesting that they wer e contained in the 0.01 M fraction of the CM Sephadex column. It is su ggested that C. amaranticolor leaf extract contained at least two prot ein-like substances manifesting antiviral and antitumoral activity.