Chinese Torreya

Chinese Torreya

　　In counties such as Jin and Yiliang, there grows a remarkable anti-cancer tree known as Cephalotaxus fortunei. Also called Chinese Torreya, it is an evergreen arbor belonging to the genus Cephalotaxus of the family Cephalotaxaceae, under the gymnosperm division. Modern medical research has proven that the entire plant contains anti-cancer alkaloids, most abundantly in the bark and root bark. From the total alkaloids extracted from the bark, nine kinds of alkaloid lipids have been isolated, among which the preparations of cephalotaxine, isocamptothecin, homoharringtonine, and deoxycephalotaxine have shown excellent therapeutic effects in the clinical treatment of acute and chronic granulocytic leukemia. Extracts from Cephalotaxus fortunei can inhibit the growth of certain cancer cells and demonstrate certain efficacy against lung cancer, choriocarcinoma, gastric cancer, maxillary sinus cancer, esophageal cancer, lymphoma, and other malignant tumors. Due to its significant anti-cancer properties, Cephalotaxus fortunei holds considerable economic value.