Maire Yew

The leaves contain taxine A, taxine H, taxine K, taxine L, Podocarpus sterol A, ecdysterone and sciadopitysin. The branches contain taxine and makisterone A. The stem bark contains taxol. The heartwood contains taxinine, isotaxiresinol and isolariciresinol.

1. Anticancer effect: Paclitaxel extracted from yew plants is a highly effective anticancer drug and has demonstrated significant efficacy against ovarian cancer, breast cancer, leukemia, lung cancer, colon cancer, and other cancers. 2. Blood-glucose-lowering effect: Taxine has little effect when administered subcutaneously or intravenously to normal rabbits, but at 1–5 mg/kg it lowers blood glucose in rabbits with epinephrine- or food-induced hyperglycemia. 3. Other effects: It has a paralytic effect on the central nervous system of frogs, mice, and rabbits. The minimum lethal dose in rabbits is reported as 4.5 mg/kg. Small amounts stimulate isolated rabbit intestine, whereas concentrations above 0.002% have a marked inhibitory effect. At 0.01%, it inhibits isolated uterine tissue from nonpregnant mice and rabbits, but stimulates pregnant uterine tissue.

No precautions information available