Taxus: The Genus Taxus (Medicinal and Aromatic Plants - Industrial Profiles)

Taxol is well-known as a powerful anticancer agent. In this volume, the authors provide an authoritative account of the taxoids. They cover taxoid chemistry, production, and biosynthesis from commercial cultivation to plant tissue culture methods, the analytical methods for identifying their structure, and the pharmacological and pre-clinical aspects important in investigating their therapeutic actions. The book presents a thorough review of the scientific literature, including data from scientists currently engaged in taxoid research, and is of significant value to researchers and others who wish to gain a practical perspective on taxoid research and development. Introduction / Hideji Itokawa -- Biosynthesis Of Taxoids / Ushio Sankawa And Hideji Itokawa -- Taxoids Occuring In The Genus Taxus / Hideji Itokawa -- Physical Methods For Identification Of The Structures Of Taxoids / Masayoshi Oyama And Hideji Itokawa -- Plant Tissue Culture Of Taxoids / Koichi Takeya -- The Commercial Cultivation Of Taxus Species And Production Of Taxoids -- Yoshinari Kikuchi And Mitsuyoshi Yatagai -- Analytical Aspects Of Taxoids / Mutsuo Kozuka, Susan Morris-natschke, And Kuo-hsiung Lee -- Chemistry Of Taxol And Related Taxoids / Hui-kang Wang, Hironori Ohtsu, And Hideji Itokawa -- Total Synthesis Of Taxoids / Zhiyan Xiao, Hideji Itokawa, And Kuo-hsiung Lee -- Structure-activity Relationships Of Taxoids / Xihong Wang, Hideji Itokawa, And Kuo-hsiung Lee -- Preclinical And Clinical Studies Of The Taxanes / David T. Brown -- Paclitaxel Content Of Yews In Ireland / Ingrid Hook And Dairine Dempsey. Edited By Hideji Itokawa And Kuo-hsiung Lee. Includes Bibliographical References And Indexes. Taxol, originally derived from the North American yew tree in 1971, is well-know worldwide as a powerful anticancer agent. Mechanistically, it has a unique microtubule stabilizing activity, and was clinically developed as a therapeutic agent in the treatment of breast and ovarian cancers at the National Cancer Institute, Washington D.C., USA. In this volume, the authors provide an authoritative account of the taxoids. It covers their production and biosynthesis -- from commercial cultivation to plant tissue culture methods -- describes taxoid chemistry, the analytical methods for identifying their structure and the pharmacological and pre-clinical aspects important in investigating their therapeutic actions. It presents a thorough review of the scientific literature, including data from scientists currently engaged in taxoid research, and will be of significant value to researchers and others who wish to gain a practical perspective on taxoid research and development. Taxol, originally derived from the North American Yew tree in 1971, is well-known worldwide as a powerful anticancer agent. Mechanistically, it has a unique microtubule stabilizing activity, and was clinically developed as a therapeutic agent in the treatment of breast and ovarian cancers at the National Cancer Institute, Washington D.C., USA. In this volume, the authors provide an authoritative account of the taxoids. it covers their production and biosynthesis - from commercial cultivation to plant tissue culture methods - describes taxoid chemistry, the analytical methods for identifying their structure and the pharmacological and pre-clinical aspects important in investigating their therapeutic actions. It presents a thorough review of the scientific literature, including data from scientists currently engaged in taxoid research, and will be of significant value to researchers and others who wish to gain a practical perspective on taxoid research and development. As mentioned in the book edited by Suffness (1995), "the approval of Taxol (paclitaxel) for marketing in December of 1992 was the culmination of 30 years of work that began with the collection of Taxus brevifolia in Washington state in 1962." This book provides a comprehensive overview of this particular genus including: methods to identify, culture and extract taxoids, as well as the chemistry and therapeutic effects