Antitumor activities of extracts and compounds from the roots of Daphne tangutica Maxim.

The antitumor activities of the crude extracts of Daphne tangutica Maxim. (Thymelaeaceae) and some compounds were investigated in vivo for the first time. The eight tested samples exhibited inhibition in mice transplanted with sarcoma S180. Of the eight samples, two samples DTE-2 (mixture of daphnodorin E and daphnodorin F) and DTE-3 (syringin) were noted to have the most marked antitumor activity.