IMMUNOSTIMULATING AGENT AND ANTITUMOR AGENT

摘要

PURPOSE: To produce an immunostimulating agent and antitumor agent having low toxicity, high efficacy and easily forming a pharmaceutical preparation by using a specific propolis extract as an active component. CONSTITUTION: Propolis collected from the hive of honeybee is heated in an aqueous solvent at 35-60 deg.C at a neutral region of pH 7 or thereabout to extract the active component in the water phase. The system is cooled and the precipitate is separated from the cooled liquid to obtain a liquid containing the active component. The precipitate is further extracted at least once with water at 35-50 deg.C to recover the active component. The liquid recovered from the precipitate and containing the active component is mixed with the above liquid containing the active component and the obtained solution containing the active component of propolis is used as it is or after purification. Since the active component of propolis is free from residual particular solvent, it can easily be prepared in the form of a pharmaceutical preparation. The water-soluble propolis is repetitively administered at a daily rate of about 400-800mg/60kg as an immunostimulating agent or antitumor agent.