Taxol from Phyllosticta citricarpa, a leaf spot fungus of the angiosperm Citrus medica

Abstract

Phyllosticta citricarpa, a leaf spot fungus isolated from the diseased leaves of Citrus medica, displayed the production of taxol, an anticancer drug on M1D and potato dextrose broth medium in culture for the first time. The presence of taxol was confirmed by spectroscopic and chromatographic methods of analysis. The maximum amount of taxol production was recorded in the fungus grown on M1D medium (265 microg/l) followed by PDB medium (137 microg/l). The production rate was increased to 5.3 x 10(3) fold than that observed in the culture broth of an earlier reported fungus, Taxomyces andreanae.