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Planta Med 2003; 69(5): 477-478
DOI: 10.1055/s-2003-39707
Letter
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Variation of Podophyllotoxin in Leaves of Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana)

Kent E. Cushman1 , Muhammad Maqbool1 , Patrick D. Gerard2 , Ebru Bedir3 , Hemant Lata3 , Rita M. Moraes3
  • 1North Mississippi Research & Extension Center, Mississippi State University, Verona, Mississippi, USA
  • 2Experimental Statistical Unit, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi, USA
  • 3National Center for Natural Products Research, Thad Cochran Research Center, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi, USA
Further Information

Publication History

Received: September 16, 2002

Accepted: January 5, 2003

Publication Date:
12 June 2003 (online)

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Abstract

Leaves of Eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana L. Cupressaceae) have been reported to contain podophyllotoxin, a pharmaceutical compound used to manufacture drugs for treatment of cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, genital warts, psoriasis, and multiple sclerosis. Podophyllotoxin content of leaves of immature, mature male, and mature female plants (∼1.45 mg·g-1) was significantly higher than that of leaves of juvenile plants (0.60 mg·g-1). Sampling date also affected podophyllotoxin content. Leaves harvested in January and April exhibited higher podophyllotoxin contents (1.56 and 1.45 mg·g-1, respectively) than leaves harvested in February and June (1.06 and 1.08 mg·g-1, respectively). There was no obvious pattern or trend in the data due to sampling date. There was no significant interaction between plant type and sampling date. These results indicate that foliage of mature Eastern red cedar, a waste product of the lumber industry, could be a low-yielding, but relatively stable, source of podophyllotoxin.

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Dr. Kent E. Cushman

North Mississippi Research & Extension Center

P.O. Box 1690

Verona

MS 38879

USA

Email: kcushman@ra.msstate.edu

Fax: +1-662-566-2257

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