In order to study the antitumoral effect of Selaginella tamariscina extracts, the cytotoxicities to human histiocytic leukemia cells (U937) and lymphocyte were measured by MTT method. The water extract of Selaginella tamariscina was partitioned into chloroform (CHCl₃), ethylacetate (EtAc), n-butanol (BuOH) and water (H₂O), successively. CHCl₃, EtAc and BuOH fractions of Selaginella tamariscina showed the cytotoxicity to the U937 cells but they had no effect on the cytotoxicity of lymphocyte under the same conditions. The tumor-specific cytotoxicity of Selaginella tamariscina fractions might have been attributed to their genotoxic effect on actively proliferating cells. The expression of p53 tumor suppressor gene was then evaluated by northern blotting. The increased expression of p53 was induced by Selaginella ramariscina fraction V but no expression of p53 was induced by CHCl₃, EtAc, and BuOH fractions of Selaginella tamariscina. These results suggested that the increased expression of p53 induced by Selaginella tamariscina water extract (fraction V) should be required for the cytotoxicity on U937 and the other fractions of Selaginella tamariscina mediated the U937 disruption.

국내에서 종실용 amaranth의 이용 가능성을 조사하기 위한 목적으로 종실에서 squalene을 분리, 동정하였고, squalene 추출후 부산물의 활용방안으로 그 부산물의 항암활성검색을 한 결과를 요약하면 다음과 같다. 1. Amaranth 종실에서 추출, 분리한 squalene 함량은 0.43%이고, GC /Mass spectrum으로 확인한 결과 99%의 순도를 나타내었으며, 분자구조식은 잠정적으로 동물성 squalene과 동일한 것으로 나타났다. 2. MTT 방법을 이용한 인간의 위암, 대장암 세포주에 대한 항암활성효과를 검색한 결과 부산물의 조추출물은 230ug/m1보다 낮은 농도에서 유의한 항암효과를 보였다.