Antitumor activity of aqueous extracts of marine animals

Aqueous extracts (macromolecule fractions in particular) of 25 species of well-known marine animals were tested for their antitumor activity against transplanted sarcoma 180 solid form in ICR mice. All of the macromolecule fractions from the extracts of animals in the shellfish category except that of Mytilus edulis inhibited the growth of sarcoma 180. The use of aqueous extracts from Strongylocentrotus nudus, Halocynthia hilgendorfi f. ritteri, Styela plicata, Ecteinascidia turbinata, and Megabalanus rosa also revealed relatively high inhibition ratios of over 60%.