Gender influences the taxanes content in different organs of European yew tree (Taxus baccata L.) in the Hyrcanian forests

Abstract

European yew (Taxus baccata L.), the main natural source of anticancer taxanes, is an evergreen and dioecious tree native to northern Iran at the Hyrcanian ecoregion forests. In this study, variations in the level of taxanes including taxol, 10-deacetylbaccatin III (10-DAB), baccatin III, 10-deacetyltaxol (10-DAT) and cephalomannine in different organ and tissues (root, stem dead bark, stem fresh bark, wood, needle, male flowers, red aril and seed) of four couple of nearest male and female yew tree with similar diameter at breast height (DBH= 65 cm) male and female stocks of yew tree were investigated. Two-way analysis of variance and Duncan post hoc tests revealed a higher taxanes level in female organs compared to male. Suffering the greater reproductive effort in female, cause a higher taxanes content compared to male. The highest level of all taxanes was dramatically found in the roots of both male and female stocks followed by needle of female tree (except cephalomannine). Although bark possess the lowest average yields of taxanes but the highest taxol concentrations. Finally, we concluded that males and females are different in taxanes contents and females invest more taxanes. We also demonstrated significantly higher taxane contents in the roots of female yew trees and then needles and dead bark were the next highest. So dead bark and needles are proposed as a great help for alleviating the taxane supply crisis due to avoiding destructive effect of taxanes exploitation.