| Plant Classification<\/td>\n | \u00a0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||
| Common Name:<\/td>\n | Pacific Yew<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||
| Family:<\/td>\n | Taxaceae<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||
| Genus:<\/td>\n | Taxus<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n| Species:<\/td>\n | T. brevifolia\u00a0<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n | \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Let’s start with\u00a0Yew\u2019s dark side. \u00a0Once called the \u201cgraveyard tree\u201d in England (Stewart, 2009) the Yew has a reputation for sudden death in both people and livestock. \u00a0There are even some reports of ancient yews being uprooted with bones intertwined in their roots (Stewart, 2009). \u00a0Every part of the tree is poisonous excluding the red arils, although these still contain a poisonous seed. Children are highly susceptible to poisoning due to the enticing berries and livestock and pets have had a bleak history with yew. \u00a0Once used for suicide during war times even food and drink vessels made from the wood of the yew could poison those who ate from them (Stewart, 2009). \u00a0This historically deadly tree owes its fame to an alkaloid, specifically Taxine. \u00a0This phytochemical is stored in almost every part of the tree but its red, juicy arils, and is the yews main form of defense (Bryan, 2011). \u00a0Being that trees can\u2019t move when they are attacked they have to be creative in their defense mechanisms. \u00a0Although Taxine is deadly Yew also has another chemical up its sleeve, Taxane.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Public Domain, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=8876<\/p><\/div>\n So how did the Yew go from deadly to medicinal? In 1962 the US National Cancer Institute collected plant specimens all over the country to test for any useful cancer\u00a0<\/span>treatment properties. \u00a0The bark of <\/span>T. brevifolia<\/span><\/i> was found to have taxanes, a\u00a0<\/span>diterpene, which contains paclitaxel. \u00a0This discovery was significant because paclitaxel has chemical properties that, when in the body of an animal, disrupt mitosis and acts as an antitumor treatment (Abal, 2003). \u00a0Once it was found that Yew bark was a source of this new anticancer drug there was a rush to collect as much as possible putting the trees in danger of extinction. \u00a0Push-back from environmental groups<\/a> who feared losing these trees helped drive the pharmaceutical industry to create a synthetic version of the phytochemical (biologically active chemicals in plants). \u00a0With the discovery of endophytic fungi growing with Yew trees and producing paclitaxel some relief may come to the trees, though this is still a relatively new discovery (Somjaipeng, 2016). \u00a0Taxol has not yet been entirely synthesized and the trees remain one of the best sources of Paclitaxel. \u00a0Scientists are searching Taxus<\/em> species around the world for more taxanes that may contain similar properties similar to Paclitaxel as starting materials for synthesis (Sun, 2015). \u00a0Taxol, the partially synthesized drug derived from paclitaxel, has now made its way into mainstream treatment of breast and ovarian cancers. \u00a0This treatment is due to the interactions between Taxol and the way our cells divide.\u00a0<\/p>\n |
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![\"Paclitaxel](\"https:\/\/sites.evergreen.edu\/plantchemeco\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/271\/2017\/01\/MolView-structural-formula-paclitaxel-1-251x300.png\")
![\"By](\"https:\/\/sites.evergreen.edu\/plantchemeco\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/271\/2017\/01\/Taxus_brevifolia_Blue_Mts_WA-240x300.jpg\")