A Rapid, Continuous and Renewable Method for The Production of The Anticancer Drug Camptothecin
Introduction
Medicinal plants form an important source for a wide variety of natural products used in the treatment of a various types of diseases like cancer, hypertension, malaria, AIDS etc. These drugs possess a complex organic structure with several chiral centres and are difficult to synthesise in the laboratory. On the contrary , plants accumulate these products with ease under natural conditions. This in turn has resulted in the exploitation of several medicinal plants for the production and export of life saving drugs. In the case of the anticancer drug camptothecin, commercial production is from the tree Camptotheca acuminata. Many trees are uprooted from the natural flora and used for camptothecin production. Biotechnological approaches on the medicinal plant Ophiorrhiza. developed in BARC showed significant levels of camptothecin during a short period of time. Thus they provide a continuous and renewable source for the production of the high value drug camptothecin.
Advantages
Application Areas
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For further information please contact
Head, Technology Transfer & Collaboration Division,
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre,
Trombay, Mumbai- 400 085
Tel : 091-022-25593897
Fax : 091-022-25505151 / 25519613
Email : headttcd@barc.gov.in