Fibronectins are proteins with physiological functions such as the promotion of attachment and elongation and the regulation of chemotaxis, phagocytosis, and metastasis of cancer cells. There are cellular and plasma forms of fibronectin. The molecular weight of the cellular form (480, 000) is greater than that of the plasma form (450, 000), but differences in their physiological functions have not been studied in detail. We screened human hepatoblastoma HuH-6 clone 5 cells for clones that produced much cellular fibronectin, and selected the clone HUH-6 YM. HUH-6 YM cells grown in a protein-free medium produced the fibronectin for at least 5 months. A protein-free basal medium with high concentrations of both sodium bicarbonate and fructose allowed the HUH-6 YM cells to grow at high density (e.g., 5×10⁷ cells/cm²) and to produce cellular fibronectin at the concentration of 200mg/l daily in a roller bottle. Productivity was 20 times that in conventional basal medium. The method might be useful for the industrial production of cellular fibronectin.

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A methanol extract of etiolated seedlings of adlay (Coix lachryma-jobi L. var. ma-yuen Stapf) had antimicrobial activity. The extract was partitioned with chloroform, acetone, ether, and pyridine, in that order, and the activity was highest in the acetone fraction. Two novel antimicrobial substances were isolated from the fraction, 3, 5-dimethoxy-1 H-inden-1-one and 1-ace tyl-1-hydroxy-3, 5-dimethoxy-1 H-inden, which we designated coixindens A and B. Coixindens A and B are unusual antimicrobial substances in having an indene skeleton. Coixinden B differs from coixinden A only in its acetyl group attached to the indene skeleton. Coixinden B had antimicrobial activity against bacteria, but not against yeasts or fungi, but coixinden A had wide antimicrobial activity. The acetyl group seems to give rise to this difference.

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Ketol forms of unsaturated fatty acids, which were derived from linoleic acid, were obtained from a water extract of corn grain and their antitumor activities was evaluated. These ketols, especially 13-hydroxy-10-oxo-traps-11-octadecenoic acid (gamma-ketol), had more effect on various cancer cells in culture than linoleic acid. In an in vivo study, mice were implanted with mammary carcinoma MM 46 cells intraperitoneally. Gamma-ketol given intraperitoneally cured the cancer. Other mice were implanted with solid Sarcoma 180 cells and gamma-ketol or linoleic acid was given by mouth. Gamma-ketol inhibited the cancer, but linoleic acid did not. Gammaketol was evaluated for mutagenicity with Salmonella typhimurium by the reverse mutation (Ames) test and the chromosomal aberration test with human lymphocytes. Mutagenicity was not detected. These results suggested that oral administration of ketol forms of unsaturated fatty acids may be an useful treatment for cancer.

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This report deals with a new chemotype of Mentha aquatica containing menthofuran, 1, 8-cineole, sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, and sesquiterpene alcohols as major components. Plants were harvested while blooming time in August and were distilled with steam to yield an oil. The components in the essential oil was detected by GC-MS. The percentage of the components in terms of peak areas by GLC was calculated with a chromatoprocessor. The major components of the essential oil were limonene (3.5%), 1, 8-cineole (8.3%), menthofuran (10.7%), β-elemene ? (3.7%), β-caryophyllene (6.7%), germacrene D (7.6%), elemol (16.3%), and viridiflorol (11.4%). The percentages varied in plants harvested in May, July, August, September, and October. The menthofuran-1, 8-cineole chemotype seemed to be the principal one; it contained elemol and viridiflorol as other major components.

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