title: Isolation and identification of an anticancer drug, taxol from Phyllosticta tabernaemontanae, a leaf spot fungus of an angiosperm, Wrightia tinctoria.
abstract: Phyllosticta tabernaemontanae, a leaf spot fungus isolated from the diseased leaves of Wrightia tinctoria, showed the production of taxol, an anticancer drug, on modified liquid medium (M1D) and potato dextrose broth (PDB) medium in culture for the first time. The presence of taxol was confirmed by spectroscopic and chromatographic methods of analysis. The amount of taxol produced by this fungus was quantified using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The maximum amount of taxol production was recorded in the fungus grown on M1D medium (461 microg/L) followed by PDB medium (150 microg/L). The production rate was increased to 9.2 x 10(3) fold than that found in the culture broth of earlier reported fungus, Taxomyces andreanae. The results designate that P. tabernaemontanae is an excellent candidate for taxol production. The fungal taxol extracted also showed a strong cytotoxic activity in the in vitro culture of tested human cancer cells by apoptotic assay.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Department of Biological Engineering, Inha University, Incheon 402-751, Republic of Korea. kumaran_rs75@rediffmail.com
authors.forename: Rangarajulu Senthil
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Kumaran
authors.forename: Johnpaul
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Muthumary
authors.forename: Byung-Ki
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Hur
mesh_terms: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000008:administration & dosage; D029062:Apocynaceae / Q000382:microbiology*; D001203:Ascomycota / Q000378:metabolism*; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed / Q000187:drug effects; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D003470:Culture Media; D006801:Humans; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013055:Spectrophotometry, Infrared; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D003470:Culture Media; D017239:Paclitaxel