Camptothecin

BeschreibungCamptothecin is an alkaloid derived from Xi Shu (Camptotheca acuminata), which belongs to Nyssaceae. The traditional Chinese medicine Camptotheca acuminata (Xi Shu) has been collected in the Compilation of Chinese Herbal Medicine, Chinese Materia Medica, and Great Dictionary of Chinese Medicine. Camptotheca acuminata (Xi Shu) is widely distributed in the basin of Yangtze river and the southwestern provinces. The main medicinal parts of Camptotheca acuminata (Xi Shu) are root bark and fruit, which get rid of heat and toxic materials and eliminate the disease.

HistoryIn 1966, Wall M E et al. from the United States isolated an alkaloid from Camptotheca acuminata and defined its chemical structure. The invitro anticancer tests revealed the anticancer activity of the tryptophan-terpene alkaloid, which is known as camptothecin and received widely concern. In 1975, Corey etal. first opened the door for the chiral synthesis of camptothecin, but the reaction step was long and the yield rate was very low. It was not until 1997 that Ciufolini etal. developed a new method for the synthesis of camptothecin by five steps, with a total yield rate up to 51%. The great breakthrough in the chemical synthesis of camptothecin has made its extensive application become a reality.Hydroxycamptothecin, as a camptothecin derivative with a hydroxyl group on the tenth carbon atom, is widely used for the treatment of various cancers. In 1969, researchers from Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica found that hydroxycamptothecin possessed potent anticancer activity and low toxicity. And this finding promoted the production and clinical application of hydroxycamptothecin, but its usage was interrupted for technology and quality. In the 1980s, hydroxycamptothecin was reproduced for clinical application with an improvement in producing technology, and hydroxycamptothecin got its approval number in 1986 for clinical usage in China. In the 1990s, the US Food and Drug Administration approved the clinical application of topotecan and irinotecan, which played a significant role in the prevention and treatment of cancers.