Leucovorin is a compound similar to folic acid, which is a necessary vitamin. It has been around and in use for many decades. Leucovorin is a medication frequently used in combination with the chemotherapy drugs fluoruracil and methotrexate. Leucovorin is not a chemotherapy drug itself, however it is used in addition to these chemotherapy drugs to enhance anticancer effects (with fluorouracil) or to help prevent or lessen side effects (with methotrexate). Leucovorin is also used by itself to treat certain anemia problems when folic acid deficiency is present.

Nocardamine is a cyclic trihydroxamate. It belongs to a group of microbial siderophores which form complexes with iron and aluminum ions. Nocardamine was described first as an antibiotic active against mycobacteria and proteus. It is produced by Nocardia species, several Streptomyces species, Chromobacterium and Pseudomonas. Nocardamine exhibited significant antioxidant effects. It is suggested that it should be applied in food and biological model systems. In vitro nocardamine showed antitumor activity – it has inhibitory effects to colony formation of tumor cells.