Abstract
Rhaponticum carthamoides, maral root, is being used, namely in Orient, for centuries. The focus of interest of medicinal chemists has recently been pointed to its chemical components, namely 20-hydroxyecdysone, a herbal drug with very low toxicity.
It is registered in the EU to cure, e.g., Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Moreover, being recognised as an adaptogen, it has been in use to cure prediabetes and can be classified as a natural substance, for which intensive research into cancer and leukaemia treatment is running, in some cases together with bufadienolides.
Ecdysteroids also have the ability to affect drug resistance in the treatment of tumours. The paper brings the digest of the most interesting information, mainly from the human health research.