Taxine alkaloids, which are often named under the collective title of taxines, are the toxic chemicals that can be isolated from the yew tree.[2][3] The amount of taxine alkaloids depends on the species of yew, with Taxus baccata and Taxus cuspidata containing the most.[4] The major taxine alkaloids are taxine A and taxine B although there are at least 10 different alkaloids.[5] Until 1956, it was believed that all the taxine alkaloids were one single compound named taxine.[4]
The taxine alkaloids are cardiotoxins with taxine B being the most active.[6] Taxine alkaloids have no medical uses but Paclitaxel and other taxanes that can be isolated from yews have been used as chemotherapy drugs.[7]
^Graf, Engelbert; Kirfel, Armin; Wolff, Gerd-Joachim; Breitmaier, Eberhard (1982-02-10). "Die Aufklärung von Taxin A ausTaxus baccata L.". Liebigs Annalen der Chemie. 1982 (2): 376–381. doi:10.1002/jlac.198219820222. ISSN0170-2041.
^Miller, Roger W. (July 1980). "A Brief Survey of Taxus Alkaloids and Other Taxane Derivatives". Journal of Natural Products. 43 (4): 425–437. doi:10.1021/np50010a001. ISSN0163-3864.
^ abCite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Constable, Peter D (2016-10-25). Veterinary medicine : a textbook of the diseases of cattle, horses, sheep, pigs and goats. Hinchcliff, Kenneth W. (Kenneth William), 1956-, Done, Stanley H.,, Grünberg, Walter,, Preceded by: Radostits, O. M. (11th ed.). St. Louis, Mo. ISBN9780702070587. OCLC962414947.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^Alloatti, G.; Penna, C.; Levi, R. C.; Gallo, M. P.; Appendino, G.; Fenoglio, I. (1996). "Effects of yew alkaloids and related compounds on guinea-pig isolated perfused heart and papillary muscle". Life Sciences. 58 (10): 845–854. doi:10.1016/0024-3205(96)00018-5. ISSN0024-3205. PMID8602118.
^Muriel, Le Roux (2016-11-26). Navelbine® and Taxotère® : histories of sciences. Gueritte, Françoise. London. ISBN9780081011379. OCLC964620092.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)