DETERMINATION OF TAXOL IN TAXUS-MEDIA NEEDLES IN THE PRESENCE OF INTERFERING COMPONENTS

Usual methods for the analysis of taxol incorporate an extraction wit organic solvents, partitioning into methylene chloride, and determination on a phenyl column using an acetonitrile-methanol-water mobile phase. Although these systems work well for extractions from bark samples, needle samples contain compounds which co-elute with taxol in this reversed phase system, We have developed an analytical method using methanol extraction, methylene chloride partitioning, and minicolumn cleanup. The influence of co-eluting compounds on taxol purity was quantified from absorbance data at 228 nm and 280 nm.