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Antineoplastic Activity of Aflatoxin B1

Abstract

THE aflatoxins, a group of related mycotoxins produced by Aspergillus flavus, have been extensively evaluated for biological activity. They are carcinogenic in animals1–5. The aflatoxin B1 fraction has been teratogenic in hamsters6, probably mutagenic in micro-organisms7 and caused chromosome breakage in mammalian cell cultures7,8. The biological activity of aflatoxin B1 was similar to that of known alkylating agents7. This investigation was undertaken to determine whether it had antineoplastic activity.

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GREEN, S. Antineoplastic Activity of Aflatoxin B1. Nature 220, 931–932 (1968). https://doi.org/10.1038/220931a0

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