Prospecting of Nothapodytes nimmoniana (J.Graham) Mabberley

Nothapodytes nimmoniana Graham is an important Indian medicinal plant with rich source of quinoline alkaloid Camptothecin which is considered to be the most promising anticancer drug of the twenty first century..Camptothecin (CPT), a monoterpene indole alkaloid, is one of the most promising anticancer drugs of the 21st century. Although CPT has been reported to exist in several species, the highest concentration has been found from Nothapodytes nimmoniana, a small tree distributed in the Western Ghats of India. Recently some efforts have been initiated for in vitro conservation and production of CPT, identification of high yielding individuals and molecular profiling., Reproductive biology and breeding behaviour distribution, chemistry, structure and properties of CPT,extraction and accumulation of CPTl biosynthesis and co-evolution and conservation of this spcecies is dealt here. We briefly outline the overall status of N. nimmoniana as a source of CPT and discuss the possibility of biotechnological intervention for higher production of CPT without destructive harvesting of natural population.