Antitumor characterization of various fractions of Launaea procumbens.

The antitumor activity of various six fractions of Launaea procumbens were studied using the potato disk bioassay technique. Three concentrations (10, 100, and 1000 ppm) of all these six fractions were used for characterization of antitumor activity. Among these fractions, methanolic fraction exhibited significant inhibition of crown gall tumors caused by Agrobacterium tumefaciens followed by butanolic fraction. These results revealed that methanolic and butanolic fractions contain bioactive constituents responsible for inhibition of tumor. Further purification and characterization are in progress in our laboratory.