Effect of taxine B feeding on taxol production and cell viability in Taxus suspension cultures

After several years, still the affair of paclitaxel (Taxol) and its analogs is one of the most stimulating subjects in anticancer remedy production studies [1]. Many reports have described that the yield of taxol is very low or sometimes not detectable in dedifferentiated cells such as callus tissues or suspension cultured cells. In order to obtain products in concentrations high enough for commercial manufacturing, many efforts have been made to stimulate or restore biosynthetic activities of cultured cells using various methods. Addition to the culture media of appropriate precursors or related compounds sometimes stimulates secondary metabolite production. This approach is advantageous if the precursors are inexpensive [2, 3]. To achieve a better understanding of the effect of taxoids addition to Taxus cell culture, an Iranian yew cell line growing 14 days in a selected growth medium was treated with concentration of Taxine B (a basic Taxoids with a C-4(20) Double Bond) in the range of 1.25–10 mgL^-1. The results showed that different concentration of taxine B can lead to various influence on taxoids production such as taxol (a taxoid with an oxetane Ring). Thus, taxine B caused to change the metabolomics profile of the biosynthesis of taxol preparation. Compared with an untreated control, all the taxol concentrations affected cell viability.

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2. Ketchum REB et al. (2007) Phytochemistry 68: 335–341.

3. Expo'sito O et al. (2009) New Biotechnol 25: 252–259.