1999 年 75 巻 1 号 p. 7-9
Cytotoxic activity of chloroform-methanol extracts from 92 kinds of butterflies was tested in vitro against human gastric carcinoma TMK-1 cells. Among the species tested, cytotoxicity was found only in a kind of Danaidae, Ideopsis similis, with an IC50 value at the 5×1/106 dilution. The other butterflies showed no activity, even at a dilution of 1/102. Cytotoxic activity was also detected in chloroform-methanol extract from leaves of Tylophora tanakae, a food source for caterpillars of I. similis. The active principles in I. similis were thus suggested to be derived from compounds present in the leaves of T. tanakae.
