Production of podophyllotoxin from Podophyllum hexandrum: a potential natural product for clinically useful anticancer drugs

Podophyllum hexandrum Royle of family Berberidaceae is an endangered medici nal plant. Rhizome of P.hexandrum contains several lignans which posses ant itumor activity. Podphyllotoxin is the most active cytotoxic natural produc t. It is used as starting compound for the synthesis of anticancer drug eto poside and teniposide. Podophyllotoxin acts as an inhibitor of microtubule assembly. These drugs are used for lung cancer, testicular cancer, neurobla stoma, hepatoma and other tumors. Besides this, it also shows antiviral act ivities by interfering with some critical viral processes. Availability of podophyllotoxin from plants has its limitations because of its intense coll ection from nature and lack of organized cultivation. The chemical synthesi s of podophyllotoxin is considered to be very complicated as yet. The use o f biotechnological approaches for the production of podophyllotoxin using c ell cultures, organ cultures, and biotransformation route or by manipulatin g biosynthetic pathway proves to be an attractive alternative for productio n of podophyllotoxin. The present paper discusses the current status of res earch, limitations and future prospects for the production of podophyllotox in in vitro.