[New perspectives for antineoplastic chemotherapy with plant extracts that are pharmacologically unknown in oncology].

Experimental oncological research leads to the discovery of new weapons against cancer. The author has isolated two new antitumour substances from plants which have never been used for pharmacological purposes. The paper outlines the working hypothesis with which this result was achieved; it also discusses their presumed mechanism of action and their capacity to select tumour cells. Lastly, the author reports the results obtained in six experimental animal tumour models. Both substances showed a level of efficacy in both ascitic and solid tumours which far exceeds that of those agents currently known and used in human antitumour chemotherapy.