• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.83 no.3
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• pp.365-371
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• 1994

This study was conducted to investigate variations in taxol contents of bark, shoots, needles of three native Taxus species in Korea. Sample materials were collected in early October of 1992 from five individual, trees each of the five populations of Taxus cuspidata located at Mt. Halla, Mt. Jiri, Mt. Deokyu, Mt. Sobaek, and Mt. Taebaek and two individual trees of Taxus cuspitosa in Mt. Seolak and in March of 1993 from the five individual trees of Taxus cuspidata var. latifolia in Ulleung Island. The collected materials were analyzed by HPLC to determine the amount of taxol content. Regardless of species and population, the taxol content was highest in bark and followed by shoots and needles. In Taxars cuspidata the taxol content in the bark was highest for the population of Mt. Halla (0.017%) and decreased in the order of Mt. Jiri, Mt. Sobaek, Mt. Deokyu, and Mt. Taebaek. The taxol content in the shoots was highest for the population of Mt. Halla(0.0053%) and decreased in the order of Mt. Sobaek, Mt. Jiri, Mt. Deokyu, and Mt. Taebaek. The taxol content in the needles was higher for the population of Mt. Halla(0.0013%) than any other populations and decreased in the order of Mt. Taebaek, Mt. Sobaek, Mt. Deokyu and Mt. Jiri. The taxol contents of Taxus caespitosa(0.0035%) were lower than that of Taxus cuspidate in all of the three plant parts. The taxol content of Taxus cuspidate var. latifolia(0.0064%) was higher than that of Taxus cuspidate for shoots and needles, but lower than that of Taxus cuspidate. There was a tendency of increasing taxol contents of bark and shoots of Taxus cuspidate, as latitude decreased. This study indicated that taxol content was relatively high in the populations of Taxus cuspidate. Particularly taxol content in the bark of the Taxus cuspidate in Mt. Halla population was about the same as that of pacific yew, indicating a high potential for commercial use.