Production of Cardenolides in Galena Opava

Procedures for manufacture of cardenolides were developed in VÚPL Prague after the World War II and in the end of fifties their manufacture started in Galena Opava. lanatoside ABC was produced first, followed by pure lanatoside C and digoxine. The technique of countercurrent partitioning (the Craig partitioning) was utilized for the separation of lanatosides. The manufacture of cardenolides covered the consumption in former Czechoslovakia but due to a low content of lanatoside C in the biological starting material (dried leaves of digitalis lanata), it was not competitive for export. Therefore, the manufacture was terminated in 1983, and the free extraction capacity was used to preparate silymarin, which is still produced by the company, today TAPI Opava.