Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction / H. Itokawa -- Biosynthesis of taxoids / U. Sankawa and H. Itokawa -- Taxoids occuring in the genus taxus / H. Itokawa -- Physical methods for identifying the structures of taxoids / M. Ohyama and H. Itokawa -- Plant tissue culture of taxoids / K. Takeya -- The commercial cultivation of taxus species and production of taxoids -- Y. Kikuchi and M. Yatagai -- Analytical aspects of taxoids / M. Kozuka, S. Morris-Natschke and K.H. Lee -- Chemistry of taxol and related taxoids / H.K. Wang, H. Ohtsu and H. Itokawa -- Total synthesis of taxoids / Z. Xiao, H. Itokawa and K.H. Lee -- Structure-activity relationships of taxoids / X. Wang, H. Itokawa and K.H. Lee -- Pre-clinical and clinical investigations of taxoids / D.T. Brown -- Paclitaxel content of yews in Ireland / I. Hooke and D. Dempsey.