| abstract |
(57) [Summary] [Object] To provide a novel antitumor substance, particularly an antitumor substance having high antitumor effect and low toxicity, and an antitumor agent using the antitumor substance. The antitumor substance according to the present invention is a sugar ester of a monosaccharide or a disaccharide and a fatty acid, and is mycolic acid, particularly a lower mycolic acid having 50 or less carbon atoms, more preferably a mycolic acid having 30 to 40 carbon atoms. It consists of a sugar ester of an acid and a monosaccharide such as glucose or mannose or a disaccharide such as trehalose, and is formulated into an injection or cream using the sugar ester to obtain the antitumor agent according to the present invention. The sugar ester is, for example, a bacterium belonging to the genus Rhodococcus, In particular, it can be obtained by culturing Rhodococcus bacteria, and is extracted from the cultured cells. |