To find antitumor components from higher fungi, the mycelia of Collybia confluens (Pers. ex Fr.) Kummer were cultured in artificial media. For efficient production of the mycelia, the influences of various modifications of culture conditions were examined. A water-soluble protein-bound polysaccharide fraction, Fr. A, was obtained from the mycelia by hot water extraction. When Fr. A was purified and fractionated by DEAE-cellulose and Sepbadex G-200 gel filtration chromatographies into four fractions which were designated B, C, C-I and C-II. The tumor inhibition ratios of these fractions ranged from 46% to 75% against the solid forms of sarcoma 180 in ICR mice at doses of 20 and 50 mg/kg/day when given intraperitoneally. Especially, Fr. C which was named Collyban(CB) exhibited a marked life-prolonging effect of the mice against ascitic forms of sarcoma 180 at a dose of 50 mg via i.p. administration. To extend spectra of the antitumor activities and eliminate the effects of allograft rejection, the characterization of antitumor effects of CB was performed in syngeneic host-tumor systems. It did not show any antitumor activity against L1210 murine leukemia in $CD_2Fl$ mice but prolonged their life span against ascitic forms of $MM_{46}$ carcinoma in $C_3H/He$ mice. Also it exhibited antitumor activity against human cervical cancer HeLa cells that were xenografted into nude mice having BALB/c genetic backgrounds by the i.p. injection at a dose of 100 mg/kg/day. In order to characterize the antitumor components, CB was examined by chemical analysis. It was acidic protein-bound polysaccharides composed of 31% polysaccharide, 27% protein and 3% hexosamine. CB was fractionated into two fractions, Fr. C-I(M.W.: 500 Kd) and Fr. C-II(M.W.:30 and 8 Kd) by Sephadex G-200 gel filtration chromatography.

Very little utilization of the fruits of Malus baccata(Rosaceae) has been employed for food and medicinal plants except for preparing fruit beverages. But, it was estimated as valuable to investigate the chemical components for the botanical resource of this plant. In this study, it was found that the fruits of this plant contained primary long chain alcohol, ${\beta}-sitosterol$, campesterol, ursolic acid and ${\beta}-_D-glucosides$ of ${\beta}-sitosterol$ and campesterol. However, phloretin(dihydrochalcone) and its 5-O-glucoside(phloridzin) known as plant growth regulators in many Rosaceae plants were not found in this plant material by co-TLC analysis with authentic specimens. Although plant sex hormone, estrone, was often contained in relates of M. baccata, e.g., Prunus spp., Crataegus spp. and Malus spp., this compound was not detected in this fruit by comparison with an authentic material. By RIC chromatography, it was suggested that the Soxhlet extraction by the solvent of ether was excellently useful to extract ursolic acid efficiently.

Polysaccharides fractions from the leaves of Artemisia selengensis$(ASP_1)$ and Artemisia iwayomogi$(ASP_1)$ were extracted and purified by Sephadex gel filtration and DEAE-Sephadex ion exchange chromatographies. Both $ASP_1$ and $AIP_1$ fractions were tested for their effects on the spleen cell culture in vitro. Both $ASP_1$ and $AIP_1$ fractions allow growth of spleen cells up to 3 months in culture, suggesting the immunoregulatory activities of those polysaccharide fractions. The molecular weights of $ASP_1$ and $ASI_1$ fractions were found to be about 2,500 daltons by Sephadex gel filtration chromatography using standard dextrans. Both $ASP_1$ and $AIP_1$ fractions were composed of glucose, xylose and galactose.

From the benzene soluble and butanol soluble portions of Dystaenia takeshimana Kitagawa which is indigenous to Korea, umbelliferone, skimmin, isoscopoletin, ${\beta}-sitosterol$, campesterol and stigmasterol have been isolated and identified on the basis of spectral data.

The antioxidant activity of methanol extracts of plants and marine algae was tested by using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl(DPPH). Five plant extracts(Prunus davidiana, Eriobotrya japonica, Artemisia iwayomogi, Stirodella tolyrrhiza and Ulmus davidiana) and two algae (Ecklonia stolonifera and Symphycoladia latiuscula) were found to be the most effective in DPPH radical scavenging activity. The methanol extract obtained from the stems of Prunus davidiana was fractionated with several solvents. The ethylacetate soluble fraction exhibiting the strongest antioxidant activity was further purified by repeated silica gel and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography. Antioxidant flavonoids and flavonoid glycosides were isolated and the most active ones was identified as (+)-catechin by MS, $^1H-NMR$ and $^{13}C-NMR$. Its antioxidant activity was higher than that oil vitamin C.

A platelet activating factor(PAF) antagonist ginkgolides produced from Ginkgo biloba are well known for their potential usage in septic shock and other PAF related diseases. Even though they are extracted from the leaves and on occasion the root bark, the exact biosynthetic site and pathway have not proved yet. In order to locate the enzymes involved and elucidate the biosynthetic site of the compounds, embryo-derived aseptic intact plantlet and plantlet without root have been cultured on 0.3% active carbon-containing solid Murashige and Skoog's medium. The leaves from the six-week-old normal plantlet contained similar amount of ginkgolide B to that of outdoor plant leaves, while the plantlets without root had less than 30% of the ginkgolide B compared to the in vitro intact plantlets. The results suggest that the ginkgolides may be synthesized in the root and transported to the aerial part.

A new method for separation and quantitative determination of isoflavone glucosides in rhizomes of Belamcanda chinensis (Iridaceae) by high performance liquid chromatography was elaborated. A reverse-phase system with a Spheri-5 RP-18 column using MeOH:HOAc:$H_2O$(24 : 5 : 71) as a mobile phase was developed. The isoflavonoids were detected at 268 nm and the analysis was successfully carried out within 15 min.

The methanol extract of Taraxaci Herba was found to have inhibitory effect on the gastric lesion induced by HCl-ethanol. The systematic fractionation of the methanol extract resulted in positive action with water fraction in the gastric lesion. It also showed significant inhibition of gastric lesion induced by HCl-aspirin and absolute ethanol, but did not prevent indomethacin induced gastric lesion. This fraction did not affect basal gastric acid secretion but showed a decrease of pepsin activity in pylorus-ligated rats.

A tannin compound has been isolated from the underground part of Rosa rugosa Thunb. and its structure has been established to be methyl gallate $3-O-{\beta}-D-(6'-O-galloyl)-glucopyranoside(1)$ on the basis of chemical and spectroscopic evidences. This compound was the first example in this plant.

The Korean folk medicine has been used to cure several diseases among the peoples and the folk remedy has so deep root. But the botanical origin of the folk medicine has been no pharmacognostical confirmation on it. It was investigated from March, 1986 to June, 1993 in order to verify its origin by describing botanical name, commercial name, and scientific name.