Patent ID: 7112687

Claim:
A method for obtaining paclitaxel from plants containing paclitaxel and of the Taxaceae family, said method comprising: (a) preparing a paclitaxel extract by extracting paclitaxel from a plant material; (b) separating paclitaxel from the paclitaxel extract using a first column chromatography system comprising a first stationary phase and a first eluting solvent to obtain at least one fraction containing paclitaxel; (c) separating paclitaxel from the at least one fraction obtained in step (b) using a second column chromatography system comprising a second stationary phase comprising neutral alumina and a second eluting solvent to obtain at least one fraction containing paclitaxel; (d) separating paclitaxel from the at least one fraction obtained in step (c) using a third column chromatography system comprising a third stationary phase and a third eluting solvent to obtain at least one fraction containing paclitaxel; (e) separating paclitaxel from the at least one fraction obtained in step (d) using a fourth column chromatography system comprising a fourth stationary phase and a fourth eluting solvent to remove at least cephalomannine and to obtain at least one fraction containing paclitaxel; and (f) crystallizing the paclitaxel contained in the at least one fraction obtained in step (e) using a crystallizing solvent to obtain paclitaxel crystals, wherein the first, second or third eluting solvent comprises dichloromethane.