An approach utilizing information from traditional medicine to identify tumor-inhibiting plants

The search for effective tumor inhibitors for human use from higher plants requires a well-organized, cost and time efficient system for the initial evaluation of plants for potential antitumor activity. Three fundamental approaches currently being employed for the selection of the 750 000 candidate species are discussed. These include random selection screening, the use of information from traditional medicine to gain an insight from existing indigenous preparations, and a review of published experimental data that indicate antitumor activity for extracts of plants. In addition, a fourth approach, involving a combination of the aforementioned methods is proposed. This approach is modeled after a program initiated by the World Health Organization for the purpose of screening and investigating indigenous plants for fertility regulation.