EN
Since the first report on Camptothecin detection in Nothapodytes nimmoniana by Govindachari and Viswanathan (Phytochem 11:35–29, 1972), considerable work has been done on biotechnology and its applications on the species. Plant tissue culture techniques have applications in clonal propagation, CPT production, and conservation of N. nimmoniana. Discovery of CPT production by endophytes existing in symbiotic association with N. nimmoniana has provided new insights into finding alternative sources of the alkaloid. Development of molecular markers such as RFLP, RAPD, ISSR, and AFLP has facilitated understanding of population ecology and genetics of the species. Molecular information generated from these studies is promising in establishing strategies for conservation and sustainable use of N. nimmoniana populations under overexploitation pressure. The advances in instrumentation in the 20th century, such as desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry allowed CPT analysis in tissues without sample pretreatment. Other ancient techniques for qualitative and quantitative analysis such as chromatography, spectroscopy, and H1-NMR are applied in the detection of CPT due to variable sensitivity to the alkaloid. The review covers work on plant tissue culture for clonal propagation and CPT production in N. nimmoniana. Besides symbiotic endophyte sources of CPT in N. nimmoniana,population genetics studies and instrumentation analysis of the alkaloids are reviewed.