Should Seed Be an Alternative Source of Camptothecin From Nothapodytes nimmoniana and Chonemorpha fragrance?

The Southeast Asian forest is blessed with plant sources of anticancer molecules including camptothecin (CPT) but, the irrational harvest is among serious threat to its existence for use by the future generation. Among plant sources of CPT found in the region are Nothapodytes nimmoniana and Chonemorpha fragrance that are under heavy exploitation pressure for the alkaloid and other medicinal purposes. Under the natural conditions of forests, seeds produced by the plants show germination difficulties, and as a result lose viability few months after set. The unviable seeds can be used as an alternative source of CPT and other phytochemicals isolated from the species. In this study, evaluation of CPT yield of seeds and their parts was performed by high-performance thin layer chromatographic analysis to assess the feasible economic use of the seeds as an alternative source of the alkaloid. The results showed a manifold higher yield of CPT in seeds and their parts in N. nimmoniana over C. fragrance, suggesting seeds of the former that face more exploitation of its forest than the latter as a better alternative source of the alkaloid. The results also suggest that collection of the seed should be made before the onset of rain season. In this study, the economic implications of using seeds to isolate CPT are also discussed.