Kerr's Plane (botanical name: Platanus kerrii Gagnep) is a somewhat anomalous species in the Plane tree family, native to Vietnam and Laos, and differs from the other species in being evergreen, having unlobed leaves and stipules, and in the leaf stem not enclosing the axillary bud. Bark of Kerr’s Plane is an wonderful raw material for pharmaceutical production, especially Betulin and Betulinic acid. “It could be the last remnant of the ancestors of Platanus and is eagerly sought after for further study” Frank S. Santamour said.
Betulin can be easily converted to betulinic acid, which possesses a wide spectrum of biological and pharmacological activities:
- A specific effect of Betulinic acid against the growth of cancer cells was described in 1995 by Emily Pisha (Nature Medicine 1, 1046 – 1051, 1995)
- Betulinic acid has anti-HIV activities was discovered in 1996 by Evers M. (Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 1996 Mar 1;39(5):1056-1068).