Studies on production of taxol (anticancer agent) from natural sources.

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Taxol is one of the most promising natural-product anti-cancer drugs and has been shown to be effective in the treatment of ovarian, breast and lung cancers. Taxol, a diterpene found in Taxus spp., is found in Taxus cuspidata Sieb. Et Zucc., which grows in Japan. Although the demand for taxol is steadily increasing, the supply of the drug is limited. We performed studies to establish a method of extracting taxol from cultivated T.cuspidata trees. From these results, it was considered possible to extract taxol from forest resources. Extraction of taxol from renewable resources such as seedlings of T.cuspidata on short-rotation intensive-culture plantations was considered to be an attractive approach for the production of taxol in Japan. In summary, the contents of taxol, baccatin III and 10-deacetylbaccatin III in T.cuspidata growing in Japan were examined, and an efficient extraction method to produce taxol from forest resources was developed. The possibility of producing taxol from the forest resources as part of the forest administrat ion policy was suggested.