Butterfly wing antineoplastic agents

Antineoplastic Agents. 573. Isolation and Structure of Papilistatin from the Papilionid Butterfly Byasa polyeuctes termessa

“…The butterfly was first dissected into a cross section of anatomical parts, principally the heads, abdomens, thoraxes, and wings. At that time (1967–1969), the initial anticancer activity was detected in 95% ethanol extracts of the wings using the Walker 256 carcinoma (subcutaneous) in random-bred albino rats under the auspices of the U.S. National Cancer Institute 3. The extract was given intraperitoneally (in saline) on the first day of tumor transplant and repeated over each of five days, with growth of the tumor measured on day 10.…”

“…Insects are now believed to number some four to six million species,2 with butterflies and moths (order Lepidoptera) comprising over 100,000 species 3. Such an enormous reservoir of as yet unexplored compounds that could include biologically active structures is most compelling.…”

“…In 1965–66, we began to pioneer the first systematic investigation of arthropods for antineoplastic components and summarized the initial promising results in 1968 3. Our most recent advance in that area was the isolation from a Texas grasshopper of pancratistatin,4d a preclinical anticancer drug that had in the meantime been isolated by us from an African plant.…”

Insects and their chemical weaponry: New potential for drug discovery

“…2,17,[183][184][185]200,201,[210][211][212][213][214] These studies have continued to produce discoveries even as recently as this year, including the following examples. 185 This work has resulted in identification of anticancer activity from insects such as the Asian rhino beetle (Trypoxylus (Allomyrina) dichotoma), the Asian butterfly Catopsilia crocale, 215 and the wasp Vespula pennsylvanica. 200,201,210,213 More recent examples include the Texas lubber grasshopper Brachystola magna 210 and the Asian butterfly Byasa polyeuctes termessa.…”

Chemotherapeutic Effects of Bioassay-Guided Extracts of the American Cockroach,Periplaneta americana

“…21 One of the earliest documented practices in Western medicine was the use of the arachnid, Tarantula cubensis, to cure cancer of the tongue. 22 Evidence-based reports of "insect chemotherapy" appeared in 1972, when Pettit et al 23 discovered that a 95% ethanolic extract of the Pieridae family of butterflies leads to more than 70% inhibition of tumor growth in albino rats bearing Walker 256 carcinomas. Similar reports of arthropod extracts as anticancer agents emerged regarding the Asian rhinocerous beetle, Allomyrina dichotomus, 24 the North American yellow jacket wasp, Vespula pensylvanica, 25 and much later, the Texas lubber grasshopper, Brachystola magna.…”