Before its publication date regarding anti-cancer properties, what scientific organization confirmed that extracts from American Mayapple rhizomes and roots displayed anti-cancer activity in vitro?
USDA
The scientific validation of the American Mayapple's potential therapeutic value was established through controlled laboratory research conducted by a major governmental agricultural organization. Research carried out by the USDA confirmed that extracts obtained specifically from the rhizomes and roots of *P. peltatum* exhibited demonstrable anti-cancer activity when tested *in vitro* against several established lines of cancer cells. This finding solidified the importance of podophyllotoxin as a chemical of interest long before the results of this specific research were formally published in the year 2000, marking a key moment in shifting the plant's perception from solely a traditional purgative to a source for modern oncological investigation.
