Phytochemistry of Camptotheca Decaisne

Genetic Diversity in Camptotheca Decaisne

RAPD markers were used to reveal the genetic diversity of the genus Camptotheca. Three primers (OPA02, OPA03, and OPA04), generating 44 polymorphic bands using randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers, were able to discriminate among 25 Camptotheca populations. The band size varied from 268-4,411bp, with an average of 15 bands/primer. Of these populations, cultivars ‘Katie’ (KT) and ‘A...

Ethnobotany of Camptotheca Decaisne: New Discoveries of Old Medicinal Uses

Camptotheca trees had been used as fuelwood and an ornamental species in its native China. There were no reports on medicinal uses of Camptotheca in China and thus it was believed the trees had no medicinal before its antitumor activity discovered in 1957. We conducted national surveys of Camptotheca in China from 1994 to 1999. We found that Camptotheca acuminate is commonly known as happytree ...

Trichome Management to Enhance Camptothecins in Camptotheca Decaisne

Inducible chemical defenses of plants have received much attention in the last three decades, and these defenses often involve trichomes. It is known that some plant secondary metabolites may accumulate in trichomes which can protect plants from damage by herbivores. However, studies on plant trichomes are largely limited to some major vegetable or cash crops and model species with large glandu...

Phytochemistry and Pharmacognosy

Elsholtzia: phytochemistry and biological activities

Plants of the genus Elsholtzia (Lamiaceae) have a long history of medicinal use in folk. The phytochemical investigations revealed the presence of flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, terpenoids, and other compounds. Abundant volatile components are also identified. Pure compounds, volatile constituents and crude extracts from the genus exhibited a wide spectrum of in vitro and in vivo pharmacological...