maytansine/ハリツルマサキ属

The ecological role of maytansine, an important antineoplastic and antimicrobial compound with high cytotoxicity, particularly as a chemical defense compound has remained elusive since its discovery in the 1970s in Maytenus and Putterlickia plants. In the present study, we have used

Individual plants belonging to different species of the family Celastraceae collected from their natural habitats in South Africa (Putterlickia verrucosa (E. Meyer ex Sonder) Szyszyl., Putterlickia pyracantha (L.) Szyszyl., Putterlickia retrospinosa van Wyk and Mostert) and Brazil (Maytenus

We examined the cytotoxic effect of maytanprine isolated from the methanol extract of Maytenus diversifolia on human leukemia K562 cells using a flow cytometer and compared its cytotoxicity with that of maytansine, a potent cytotoxic maytansinoid. Maytanprine at concentrations of 0.03 nM or more (up

Maytenus wallichiana callus tissue was extracted. The extract was fractionated to achieve maytansine containing residue. In none of the fractions maytansine corresponding substance was found. However evaluation by Tetrahymena test indicated strong cytotoxicity (ID50 1.8 micrograms/cm3).

A new sesquiterpene pyridine alkaloid, emarginatine B [2] has been isolated, along with maytansine [3], from Maytenus emarginata. Emarginatine B showed potent cytotoxicity against human KB cells (ED50 = 0.4 micrograms/ml). Spectral correlations established its structure as a 9-benzoate and C-8