CONCENTRATIONS OF TAXOL AND RELATED TAXANES IN THE NEEDLES OF DIFFERENT TAXUS CULTIVARS

The taxane content of the needles of 57 cultivars obtained from five m ajor nurseries in the United States is presented. The analysis of taxo l (1), and five other related taxanes, 10-desacetyl-7-epi-taxol (2), c ephalomannine (3), 10-desacetyl taxol (4), baccatin III (5) and 10-des acetyl baccatin III (6) was carried out using a high performance liqui d chromatographic method developed in our laboratory. The results of t hese analyses showed that the total ''useful'' taxanes varied between 0.0232%-0.113%, with 1 and 6 being the most abundant taxanes. The surv ey identified 11 cultivars with a content of 1 ranging from 0.028% to 0.062%, and ten cultivars with a content of 6 ranging from 0.028% to 0 .066%; 3 and 4 each represented approximately 30%-50% of the concentra tion of taxol in most cultivars. Therefore, the needles of ornamental Taxus represent a significant, rich and renewable source for taxol and other related taxanes.