Abstract
In the cooperation with biotech and pharmaceutical companies that are able to produce active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), Nothapodytes nimmoniana plants were proven a good resource to produce camptothecin (CPT). Due to the high cost and unstable CPT yield in every 5 year harvest rotation in traditional way, it is difficult to compete in global market. We select clones with CPT rich in branches and cultivated them as 20,000 trees/ha in field. The harvested branches found valuable chemicals, such as HCPT and MCPT, which were confirmed by UPLC-TOF. HCPT is first found in this genus, and MCPT could be converted into CPT, which concentration in branches was about half of CPT. Monthly detection of CPT concentration of 6 clones in this year showed the CPT level greater than 1000 ppm appeared to be in March and September. We found there have 3 clones had 1000 ppm CPT in every month. We developed tissue culture system for these clones and published a research paper in a scientific journal. We planted 3542 plantlets in greenhouse and tested the better condition to nursing them. We also established a scion garden to provide cutting materials. The established clonal seed orchard that composed with 25 clones derived from 8 provenances produced 7.6 kg fruit and germinated into 3832 seedlings. We harvested branches of a 2-year old plantation that were from progenies of 17 clones (families). They were grinding, drying and determined the dry biomass, CPT, and MCPT yield per ha. G3-3 clone that produced the greatest branches 8.8 ton/ha, while T4 clone obtained the greatest CPT 6.9 kg/ha and MCPT 3.8 kg/ha.