An Overview on Taxol Production Technology and Its Applications as Anticancer Agent

Cancer is undeniably a major health risk factor that is growing rapidly globally despite promising medicinal and pharmaceutical development. Treatment of cancer remains an issue due to financial constrains in most of the developing countries. The majority of today’s medicines are derived from medicinal plants, as we all know. Taxol is such a plant-based chemotherapeutic agent which has blown the anticancer research field. The extinction of Taxus spp., which is the main natural source of taxol synthesis, required the development of novel alternative approaches in the oncology field. Many novel discoveries have been in trend in which endophytic microbial fermentation process is more focused as this area is cost-efficacious, less time consumable, and eco-friendly. Endophytes are one of another alternative approach for the taxol production, preserving the natural resources of Taxus plants worldwide. Endophytic microorganisms can be exploited in the taxol industry because most of the endophytic microbes have yet to be explored for the eco-friendly and economical production of this wonder drug. The aim of this review article is to cover everything from the discovery of taxol through the development of new natural resource-based biotechnology techniques. Furthermore, the current review has emphasised the use of taxol in fields other than anti-cancer properties, as well as pointing to some future opportunities.