## 2 Materials and Methods
### Cytotoxic and Antitumour Activity  
The obtained extracts of _F. vulgaris_ were tested for cytotoxic activity and anticumour properties. The study of biochemical and haematological blood parameters was carried out at the Centre for Bioelementology of Ivano-Frankivsk National Medical University using the atomic absorption spectrophotometry method (accreditation certificate No. 037/19 valid until 12 June 2024). The study was conducted on white nonlinear mice grown in the vivarium of IFNMU, which were standardised in physiological and biochemical parameters and were kept under the requirements of sanitary and hygienic standards on a standard diet and in compliance with the principles of humane treatment of laboratory animals. During the experiment, the animals were treated following the International Principles of the European Convention for the Protection of Vertebrate Animals Used for Experiments and Other Scientific Purposes [39; 40]. These are proven by the Protocol of the Ethics Committee of IFNMU No. 139/23 dated 16 November 2023. The results of experimental studies were analysed using the Statistic Soft 7.0 mathematical program package with Student's _t_-test in Microsoft Office 365 Excel (Exchange Online (Plan 2) for employees of educational institutions). The difference was considered statistically significant at \(p\) < 0.05. To determine the antitumor effect of drugs of plant origin, the most common method is the contact effect of these drugs on ascites tumour cells to establish a cytotoxic effect [41; 42; 43]. The cytotoxic effect of aqueous and aqueous-alcoholic extracts from rhizomes with roots of _F. vulgaris_ on Ehrlich ascites cancer cells in mice was studied using the [PERSON]. [PERSON] method, proposed for the primary selection of substances with antitumor effect [41; 42]. For the study, astic fluid was taken on the 7 th-8 th day after inoculation of mice with the Ehrlich tumour. A solution of aqueous-alcoholic (FHE1) and aqueous (FHE2) extracts of _F. vulgaris_ rhizomes with roots was added to the astic fluid in an isotonic NaCl solution and placed in a thermostat for three hours. A control experiment was conducted in parallel. After incubation in a thermostat, an eosin solution was added, which stained dead cells red. Living cancer cells remained transparent. After 5-10 min, a drop of the mixture was placed in a Goryaev chamber, and the number of dead cells in 10-20 fields of view was counted. Each experiment was repeated 7 times [41]. After studying the cytotoxic effect of the drugs, we studied their effect on the development of experimental Ehrlich ascites carcinoma in mice and the lifespan of the animals. Ehrlich ascites carcinoma was inoculated into mice by injecting astic fluid (_n_ = 1 \(\times\) 10\({}^{6}\) Ehrlich tumour cells) into the abdominal cavity under sterile conditions. Twenty-four hours after vaccination, 0.5 mL of a solution of the aqueous-alcoholic and aqueous extract of rhizomes with roots of _F. vulgaris_ was administered intra-abdominally daily for ten days to separate groups of animals at a dose of 50 mg/kg [41]. The study was conducted on 60 white mice weighing 20-24 g, which were divided into groups:  
Group Ia--the main group, implanted with [PERSON] carcinoma, treated with the aqueous-alcoholic extract of _F. vulgaris_ rhizomes with roots (_n_ = 14);  
Group IIa--the main group, implanted with [PERSON] carcinoma, treated with the aqueous extract of _F. vulgaris_ rhizomes with roots (_n_ = 14);  
Group IIIa--intact animals, normal (_n_ = 10);  
Group IV--control, implanted with Ehrlich ascites carcinoma, untreated (_n_ = 14). The studies were conducted in dynamics, with the determination of indicators on the 7 th and 14 th day. Mice were euthanised under ether anaesthesia, and astic fluid, blood, and carcasses of mice without intestines were taken for research. The volume of astic fluid was determined before and after treatment.