Abstract
Callus cultures of Taxus cuspidata were induced from young stems in a modified Gamborg B5 medium with various known auxines. Taxol® (Paclitaxel) (1) (0.010% based on dry callus weight) and its relating compounds containing oxetane ring 7–10 were isolated from the fast-growing callus cultures (CR-5 cell strain) with NAA 0.5 mg/L in the medium, together with taxuyunnanine C (2) and its 14-acyloxy derivatives 3–6 in high yields (total 0.49%). The dry callus culture was extracted with hexane, ethyl acetate, and methyl alcohol successively. These extracts were separated by the combination of silica gel flash chromatography and HPLC. Taxol (1), 7-epitaxol (7), and taxol C (8) were isolated from the extracts of EtOAc and MeOH in 0.010%, 0.002%, and 0.001% yields, respectively. Taxuyunnanine C (2) and its 14-acyloxy derivatives 3, 4, 5 and 6 were obtained from these extracts in 0.135%, 0.014%, 0.009%, 0.275% and 0.053% yields respectively.
