• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.138-148
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• 2013

The three biochemical constituents pointed out as the bioactive principles of anticancer activity of Korean mistletoes, Viscum album var. colorantum, epiphyting to different host trees, different region, and different growth environments were compared. The characterizing compounds were lectin, which was glycoprotein reported has anticancer activity, homoflavoyadorinin-B, which was flavonoid glycoside reported as an antioxidant and oleanolic acid, as an anticancerous triterpenoid. We established the analysis methods for three characterizing compounds and determined by HPLC spectrophotometer, respectively. The average content of the lectin in V. album was 1.75 mg/g of dried plants and those of homoflavoyadorinin-B and oleanolic acid were 3.51 and 5.37 mg/g, respectively. The variations of contents of the three characterizing compounds according to epiphytic trees and growth region were observed but not found statistical significance clearly. We came to the conclusion that the contents of bioactive constituents of V. album except homoflavoyadorinin-B are not affected by epiphyting trees or growth environments.