Acute emetic responses to seven cancer chemotherapeutic agents (adriamycin, bleomycin, cisplatin, cyclophosphamide, 5-fluorouracil, methotrexate, mitomycin C) were studied in the Suncus murinus. Intravenous injection of the drugs caused vomiting with various latency. Cisplatin-induced emesis was prevented by the pretreatment with metoclopramide or chlorpromazine but not with domperidone. These results indicate that the Suncus murinus is a useful animal for testing emetic activities of cancer chemotherapeutics and antiemetic activities of prophylactic drugs.

The pharmacological properties of onitin, onitinoside and onitisin, three phenolic pterosins, isolated from Onychium siliculosum have been investigated. Their predominant effects are to inhibit the contraction of isolated guinea-pig ileum. In these three compounds, onitin is the most potent one. Onitin (1 x 10M) inhibits both the D receptor and M receptor of 5-HT. The antagonism of onitin against histamine is non-competitive.

Citracridone-I (Citra-I), a new acridone alkaloid from the root barks of Citru.s depressa, was examined to evaluate toxicity in mice as well as blood pressure and small intestinal propulsion of rats in vivo. The antispasmodic effects of Citra-I were also investigated in the isolated ileum and vas deferens of guinea pig as well as uterine muscle of rat.

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The whole herb of Hypericum subalatum Hayata contains three flavonoids, caffeic acid esters, a pyranoxanthone, and three xanthines, in addition to the previously reported xanthonolignoids. Among these compounds, 2,7‐dihydroxy‐3,4‐dimethoxyxanthone has not been described in the literature before. The co‐occurrence of xanthone derivatives and flavonoids in this plant is of chemotaxonomic significance.