Use of hederagenin 3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1→2)-(β-D-glucopyranosyl(1→4)-α-L-arabinopyranoside or an extract from pulsatillae radix containing the same as a therapeutic agent for solid tumors

A method of treating solid tumors in a subject in need thereof, comprising administering to the subject a therapeutically effective dose of hederagenin 3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1→2)-[β-D-glucopyranosyl(1→4)]-α-L-arabinopyranoside, wherein said hederagenin 3-0-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1→2)-[β-D-glucopyranosyl(1→4)]-α-L-arabinopyranoside is contained in a fraction obtained by extracting Pulsatillae radix with an aqueous solution of ethanol to form a mixture, adding acetone to precipitate the mixture, collecting the resultant precipitate, drying the precipitate, reconstituting the precipitate, fractionating the reconstituted precipitate by gel filtration, subjecting the fractions to thin layer chromatography and collecting a fraction which has an Rf value of 0.48 to 0.50.