Paclitaxel and cephalomannine in in vitro cultures of Taxus cuspidata Sieb. et Zucc. shoots and plantlets

S u m m a r y Micropropagation of a mature female Taxus cuspidata tree with paclitaxel and cephalomannine content in the needles of 457.6 µg g -1 DW and 340.9 µg g -1 DW, respectively, was elaborated using shoot tips as explants. A new yew clone derived from a seed of the mother plant was also obtained. Single shoots developed from shoot tips on WP mineral basal medium with B5 vitamins (WP-B5) supplemented with 20 mg l -1 BAP and 5 mg l -1 activated charcoal were propagated by 1 cm long segments cultured on hormone-free medium. When WP-B5 medium with 0.3 mg/l 2-iP and 0,1 mg/l IAA was used 92% of shoots rooted within three months. Paclitaxel content in shoots growing on solid medium and in a mist trickling bioreactor was 45.6–86.5 µg g -1 DW. Plantlets from in vitro culture, grown in pots contained 99.0–213.1 µg g -1 paclitaxel and 558.0 µg g -1 DW cephalomannine.