A new synthetic absorbent, sylopute was applied for the purification of paclitaxel from plant cell cultures and yew tree. There was selective absorption of impurities in the treatment of sylopute. Therefore, higher purity paclitaxel could be obtained simply in the following process with a higher yield than with active clay or activated carbon. The purity of crude paclitaxel after sylopute treatment followed by precipitation was increased up to 63%, while the purities for active clay and activated carbon were 57.7 and 40%, respectively. The overall yields from sylopute, active clay, and activated carbon were 80.2, 67.7, and 35.5%, respectively. The best result in removing impurities was obtained from the combination of sylopute treatment followed by 1st and 2nd precipitation processes. A similar result was observed in the case of absorbent treatment of crude extract from yew tree. Consequently, sylopute can be applied for production scale purification of other natural products as an alternative to synthetic absorbents, activated carbon, and other alternative processes. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.