To date many kinds of compounds have been obtained from plants kingdom as antineoplastic and anti-cancerous agents. However, there is no special type of compounds for cancer therapy. Various types of substances are effective for various types of cancers and tumors: for instance, alkaloids. lignans, terpenes and steroids etc. Curcumol obtained from Curcuma aromatica was tested and noticed to be effective against cancer of the uterine cervix clinically. Oridonin isolated from Rabdosia ssp. is now investigate for clinical trials in China. Moreover camptothecine isolated from Camptotheca acuminata is also antineoplastic alkaloid, but is very toxic. Chemical modification has been tried to decrease its toxicity This compound is now using as clinical agent. Harringtonin was investigated as an anticancerous drug in China. Taxol, a compound with a taxane ring isolated from the bark of Taxus brevifotia. has been demonstrated to have substantial anticancer activity in patients with solid tumors refractory standard chemotherapy. Supply of this drug has severely limited full exploration of its antineoplastic potential Some efforts are continued in National Cancer Institute(NCI) Washington for surveying various Taxus species for optimal taxol content, improvement in semi-synthesis from baccatin 111, improvement in method of extraction, and development of alternative renewable resources. Further, there are many compounds which have been reported as antineoplastic agents. On the other hand, we have screened on higher plants collected In Japan, China, Korea. Southeast Asia and South America for antineoplastic activity, which has been done using Sarcoma 180 ascites in mice, P388 Iymphocytic leukemia In mice, Chinese hamster lung V-79 cells, P388 cells and nasopharynx carcinoma(KB) cells in our laboratory, as primary screening. In this meeting, 1 will present on antitumor and cytotoxic substances of the higher plants(Rubis cordifolia, Ailanthus vilmoriniana, Aster tataricus, Taxus cuspidata var. nana, Cephalotaxus harringtonia var. drupacea, etc.) selected from above screening tests.

To data, many types of compounds having antineoplastic activity have been isolated from higher plants, that is, alkalodids, terpenes, lignans, steroids and so on. Some of ther were isolated from Indonesian plants, Curcuma xanthorrhiza and Eurycoma longifolia. Bisaborane type compounds were compounds were isolated as antimeoplastic compounds againest Sarcoma 180A from C. xanthorrhiza, and quassinoids and euryrene type triterpenes from triterpenes from El longifolia. Casearines, a kind of diterpene, had been isolated as cytotxic components from Casearia sylvestris distributed in South America. RA series Cyclic hexapeptides isolated from Rubia akane and R. cordifolia also have strong antineoplastic activity against various types of tumors. Till now, 16 kinds of RA series compounds were isolated and named as RA-I~XVI. Moreover, monoglucoside of RA-V newly isolated from same plant. Many kinds of derivatives including natural RA compounds were tested for QSAR, and one of them, RA-VII was screened up as a most suitable substance as an antitumor agent. RA-VII(=RA 700) has strong cytotoxic activity against KB cells, P388 lymphocytic leukemia and MM2 mammary carcinoma cells. In some solution, three conformers of RA-VII were observed by NMR. It was discussed the relationship between conformation and activity. Total synthesis was already completed, but there is left room for improvement. Phase I clinical trials for RA-VII has been finished, then Phase II trials will be started before long.

Vincristine and vinblastine isolated from Vinco spp. , and podophyllotoxine derivatives isolated from Podophyllum spp. are usefulas anticancerous components obtaned from higher plants. More thanten antineoplastic compounds are now following them as anticancerousagents from higher plants. In my laboratory, Sarcoma 180A has beenused as the first screening test. By this method, I have found outsome kinds of antineoplastic constituents from active plants extracts .For instance, bisaborane type compounds were isolated from Curcumaxanthorrhiza, one of Indonesian plants; a morphinane type compoundfromCocculus trilobus; cyclic hexapeptides from Rubia akane and R.cordiorta. Seven components having antineoplastic actirity wereisolated from Rubia spp. except. R. tinctoria. Their structures wereelucidated except RA-Vl by chemical reaction and variovs instrumentalanalysis as shown in Fig. Among of them, RA-Vll showed strong activityagainst P388 Lymphocytic leukemia, L2O, B16 melanoma, Lewis lungcarcinoma, colon 38 and Ehrlich carcinoma. RA-V revealed excellentactivity against MM2 mammary carcinoma. The· value of acute LD5O ofRA-ViI were 10. Omg/kg( iP) and 16.5mg/kg( po ) respectiveIy . Therapruticratio was 400, compared with 10 of mitomycin C. QSAR was also appliedto these compounds by elongation of ether and ester side chains atR'. Mechanism of action of RA-Vll was also investigated and wasassumed to be inhibition of protein biosynthesis .