EFFECT OF DRYING CONDITIONS ON THE TAXANE CONTENT OF THE NEEDLES OF ORNAMENTAL TAXUS

The effect of drying intact clippings of Taxus on the recovery of taxo l and related compounds was studied under different drying conditions which included tobacco drying barn, greenhouse, shadehouse, air condit ioned laboratory, oven, and freeze-drying. For clippings dried under t obacco barn, greenhouse, oven, and freeze-drying conditions, nearly to tal recovery of the expected levels based upon projections from analys is of fresh biomass was observed for taxol and cephalomannine. However , only 75-80% of the expected values for 10-deacetyltaxol and 10-deace tylbaccatin III were found. When the length of drying was extended up to 10 and 15 days as in the shadehouse and laboratory conditions, the recovery of all taxanes was adversely affected.