关键词: 红豆杉资源, 紫杉醇, 开发利用, 人工繁殖

Abstract: This paper reviews systematically the ecological and biological characte ristics of Taxus plants, distribution, present storage and usable amounts of wild resources of all species available in China, as well as present status of exploitative research and clinical practices of taxol agents in China.Existing problems in the process of taxus resources exploitation and further development strategies and countermeasures are also revealed. Four species and one variety of Taxus grow in China, namely T. cuspidata Sieb. et Zucc.,T.yunnanensis Chang et L. K. Fu, T. chinensis(Pilger) Rehd., T. wallichianna Zucc., and T.chinensis var. mairei(Lemee et levl.) Chang et L. K. Fu. Except T. chinensis, wild resources storage of other species is not as much as what people expected. The available storage is very limited because of recent excessive exploitation and long time destruction of taxus plant contained forests. Exploitative researches of taxus resources in China mainly focus on organic analysis of chemical composition, separation and purification of taxol, probe into quick expansion of usable taxus resources, searching for alternatives of taxus resources, clinical test of taxol agents, etc. About 110 taxoane diterpenoids have been isolated and identified form all species in China, but taxol is most active in resisting tumos.Taxol contents in different parts of all species in various habitats have concluded and the optimal region where taxus spp. trees with high content of taxol grow and some optimal population have found out. Many units have the capability to isolate taxol, but only a limited number of them can purify and make taxol agents. Because the material for producing taxol is so scarce that many units have started to study artificial asexual propagation and tissue culture technology of taxus spp. plant. The former has been succeeded and is being expanded, but the latter still needs much work to be done. Confirmed by Chinese Health Department in February of 1995, taxol agents produced by several units had been used in clinical experiences and exhibited remarkable potential for the treatment of various cancers and tumors. Taxus resources exploitation in China is now oriented towards taxol industry, however, many problems still need to be solved satisfactorily,such as effecctive protection and research on present wild taxus spp. trees and their habitats, quick development of artificial propagation material by asexual reproduction, technological improvement of purifying taxol extraction and how to reduce resources wastes, etc.

Key words: taxus resource, taxol, exploitative research, artificial asexual reproduction, natural regeneration