Muela juice

1994/05/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Botanika

Taxi structure.

Julius Caesar mentions in his book The War of Gaul that the chief of Katavol of the tribe of the Eburons committed suicide by drinking an extract of the muela (Taxus Boccota). The poisonous extracts of the tooth are known since ancient times. In 1964 the cytotoxicity (funerary power of the cells) of the extracts of his relative Bareko (Taxus brevifolia) was known. When the components of these extracts were analyzed, the compound called taxol was isolated and the drug was found to be anticancan effective.

The problem is the deficit. To get 3 mg of taxol (about one dose) you should throw a 100 year old tree. Absurd! The synthesis of taxol has been the dream of many chemicals in the world in the last twenty years. C.C. The team led by Nikolau has just obtained the synthesis (NATURE, 17 February 1994). This synthesis will probably not make taxol mass production possible, as it is a 28-step process, but will greatly facilitate clinical sessions.