Isolation and characterization of anticancer compound, taxol from an endophytic fungus phomopsis longicolla

Taxol is that the most renowned and best antineoplastic agent belonging to the massive family of taxane diterpenoids. To stare for the taxol manufacturing endophytic fungi, nearly seventy seven Coelomycetes fungi were isolated as associate endophytes from five medicinal plants viz., Anisomeles malabarica (L.) R. Br., Mesua ferrea L., Piper nigrum L., Rauvolfia tetraphylla L. and Vitex negundo L. procured from Aliyar, situated in Anamalai foothills, Western Ghats, Southern India, Tamilnadu. Seventy seven endophytic coelomycetous fungi obtained from the plants were subjected to screening for the production of taxol. Presence of taxol was detected by chromatographic and spectrometric analysis. High Performance Liquid Chromatography showed that the amount of taxol produced by P. longicolla was 381µg/L. The present work accomplish that the formation of taxol by endophytic fungi can serve as a potential species in genetic engineering for improving the production of taxol to overcome the urgent need in clinics.