Indian podophyllum

Etoposide and teniposide are semisynthetic derivatives of podophyllin, which was originally isolated from the root of the Indian podophyllum plant. They inhibit topoisomerase II and are dealt with in a separate monograph. 

Indian Podophyllum Podophyllum emodi WALL. Berberidaceae MD 6%-12% resin with l%-4% podophyllotoxin, only traces of peltatines, berberine ... 

In the face of declining natural populations of P. emodi, a valiant effort is being made by Indian research institutions to rescue the species. The study of the population biology and genetic diversity of P. emodi is considered essential for the success of these efforts. For instance, under the direction of Prof. S. N. Raina, researchers of the Department of Botany of the University of Delhi are collecting specimens of Indian Podophyllum... 

Indian podophyllin obtained similarly from Indian podophyllum (rhizome and roots of Podophyllum hexandrum Royle, also known as P. emodi Wall.) is now more widely used. 

Indian podophyllum extracts and their quercetin 3-galactoside have antioxidant ra-... 

An adulterant of Indian podophyllum has been identified as Ainsliaea latifolia (D. Don)... 

N Amoican mayapple. Podophyllum peltatum L., Berbaidaceae, Ang. poisonous agait once used by die American Indians to commit suicide... 

The genus Podophyllum (Berberidaceae family), including the American P. peltatum L. (American mayapple) and Indian or Tibetan P. emodi WaU (syn. P. hexandrum Royle), has been... 

Podophyllum peltatum (may apple, or American mandrake) and P. emodi are. respectively, American and Himalayan plants, widely separated geographically but used in both places as cathartics in folk medicine (94). An alcoholic extract of the rhizome known as podophyllin was included in many pharmacopoeias for its gastrointestinal effects it was included in the U.S.P., for example, from 1820 to 1942. At about this time the beneficial effect of podophyllin, applied topically to benign tumors known as condylomata acuminata, was demonstrated clinically (96). This usage was not inspirational, given that there are records of topical application in the treatment of cancer by the Penobscot Indians of Maine and, subsequently, by various medical practitioners in the United States from the 19th century (96). The crude resinous podophyllin is an irritant and unpleasant mixture unsuited to systemic administration. 

The resin product obtained by extraction of the dried roots and rhizomes of the North American plant Podophyllum peltatum L. (the American mandrake or mayapple) and of the related Indian species Podophyllum emodi Wall. Ex Royle is known as podophyllin and has long been known to possess medicinal properties. The major active substance in podophyllin is the lignan lactone podophyllotoxin (7) although a variety of other lignans and lignan glycosides have also been isolated from podophyllin. ... 

Podophyllum, Indian. Rhizome and roots of Podophyllum emodi Wall., Berberidaceae. Habit, Himalaya Mountains, Kashmir. Constit. 6-12% resin, 1-4% podo-phyllotoxin berbedne. 

Sikkimotoxin, 3a,4,9,9a-Tetrahydro-4-hydroxy-6,7-dunethoxy-9-(3,4,S-trimethoxyphenyt)naphtho 2,3-c -furan-I(3H) >ne 1 -hydroxy-2-hydroxymethyl-6,7-dimeth -oxy-4-(3 4 5 -trim ethoxy phenyl)-1,2,3,4-let rahydro-naphthalene-3-carboxylic acid lactone, C Hj p, mol wt 430.44. C 64.17%, H 6.09%, O 29.74%. Isoln from roots and rhizomes of Podophyllum sikkimeitsis R. Chatterjee et Mukerjee, Berberidaceae Chatterjee. Datta, Indian J. Physiol Allied Set 4, 6l (1950). Structnre Chatterjee. Chakra-varti, J. Am. Pharm. Assoc. Scl Ed. 4l, 415 (1952) Schreier, Helv. Chim. Acta 47, 1529 (1964). 

Medicinal Properties. In terms of medicinal properties, plants containing lignans have been used as folk medicines by many different cultures. For instance, both the North American Indians and the Native of the Himalayas have utilized, for about 400-600 years, alcoholic extracts of Podophyllum rhizomes (rich in the lignan podophyllotoxin 87) as a cathartic and a poison (90),... 

The podophyllotoxin (Fig. 20.22) was isolated from the American mandrake Podophyllum pelatum), which had been traditionally used by American Indians as a laxative and anthelmintic, in 1880. It was subsequently shown to be a potent cytotoxic agent but was too toxic for use in cancer chemotherapy. Chemists at Sandoz in the 1950s further investigated Podophyllum species for analogues of podophyllotoxin. This eventually led to the development of the semi-synthetic compounds tenipinoside and etoposide (Fig. 21.22). These agents are topoisomerase II inhibitors. Teniposide is more cytotoxic than etoposide although it is not orally bioavailable. ... 

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