QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE-DETERMINATION OF TAXOL AND RELATED-COMPOUNDS IN TAXUS-CUSPIDATA SIEB ET ZUCC

In this paper the determination of taxol and the related compounds 10- deacetyltaxol, cephalomannine and 10-deacetylcephalomannine in various parts of Taxus cuspidata Sieb et Zucc. is reported. All four compound s were well separated on a 5 mum Spheri-5 RP-18 column with a mobile p hase composed of water:acetonitrile:tetrahydrofuran (55:35:10). The co ncentrations of these compounds are quite different for different part s of the plant and are highest in stem bark. Furthermore, the content is related to the age of the plant, the older plants containing larger quantities of taxane diterpenoids. We have also found that the conten ts of taxol and related compounds in the shrub are usually higher than those in the tree.