Intra-Specific Variability of Feverfew: Correlations Between Parthenolide, Morphological Traits and Seed Origin

Abstract

Parthenolide, a biologically active sesquiterpene lactone found in feverfew [Tanacetum parthenium (L.) Schultz Bip., Asteraceae], has been indirectly linked to the anti-migraine action of feverfew preparations. Commercial preparations of feverfew leaves are known to vary widely in parthenolide content. Thirty-one feverfew accessions of diverse origin were examined for morphological traits and parthenolide content. Significant variation in parthenolide content was found among the populations. Mean parthenolide levels ranged from non-detectable to 1.68 % ± 0.97 (per dry weight) based upon HPLC-UV-MS. In general, feverfew plants grown from wild-collected seed from botanical gardens and the USDA accessions had higher mean parthenolide levels (0.72 % ± 0.57) than plants from commercial sources, including the generic material (0.34 % ± 0.23) and cultivars (0.35 % ± 0.40). Feverfew varieties with a light green/yellow leaf color had significantly higher mean parthenolide levels (1.61 % ± 0.61 %) than darker-leafed varieties. A significant positive correlation between days to anthesis and parthenolide content was observed. Parthenolide levels did not correlate with floral morphology. This study shows that further selection for improved horticultural attributes and natural product content has potential to improve feverfew for the botanical/medicinal plant industry.

Key words

Tanacetum parthenium - Asteraceae - feverfew - morphology - bioactive plant products - sesquiterpene lactone - parthenolide

References

• 1 Johnson  E S,, Kadam  N P,, Hylands  D M,, Hylands  P J.. Efficacy of feverfew as prophylactic treatment of migraine.  British Medical Journal. 1985;;  291 569-73
• 2 Murphy  J J,, Heptinstall  S,, Mitchell  J RA.. Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial of feverfew in migraine prevention.  Lancet. 1988,;  i 198-92
• 3 Collier  H OJ,, Butt  N M,, Mc-Donald-Gibson  W J,, Saeed  S A.. Extract of feverfew inhibits prostaglandin biosynthesis [letter].  Lancet. 1980;;  ii (8200) 922-3
• 4 Makheja  A M,, Bailey  J M.. The active principle in feverfew [letter].  Lancet. 1981;;  ii (8254) 1054
• 5 Heptinstall  S,, White  A,, Williamson  L,, Mitchell  J RA.. Extracts of feverfew inhibit granule secretion in blood platelets and polymorphonuclear leucocytes.  Lancet. 1985;;  i 1071-4
• 6 Thakkar  J K,, Sperelaki  N,, Pang  D,, Franson  R C.. Characterization of phospholipase A2 activity in rat aorta smooth muscle cells.  Biochimica et Biophysica Acta. 1983;;  750 (1) 134-40
• 7 Groenewegen  W A,, Knight  D W,, Heptinstall  S.. Compounds extracted from feverfew that have anti-secretory activity contain an α-methylenebutyrolactone unit.  Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology. 1986;;  38 709-12
• 8 Hewlett  M J,, Begley  M J,, Groenewegen  W A,, Heptinstall  S,, Knight  D W,, May  J, et al.. Sesquiterpene lactones from feverfew. Tanacetum parthenium: isolation, structural revision, activity against human blood platelet function and implications for migraine therapy.  Journal of the Chemical Society. . Perkin Transactions  1996;;  1 1979-86
• 9 Groenewegen  W A,, Heptinstall  S.. A comparison of the effects of an extract of feverfew and parthenolide, a component of feverfew, on human platelet activity in-vitro. .  Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology. 1990;;  42 553-7
• 10 Heptinstall  S,, Awang  D VC,, Dawson  B A,, Kindack  D,, Knight  D W,, May  J.. Parthenolide content and bioactivity of feverfew. Estimation of commercial and authenticated feverfew products.  Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology. 1992;;  44 391-5
• 11 Marles  R J,, Kaminski  J,, Arnason  T,, Pazoz-Asnou  L,, Heptinstall  S,, Fischer  N, et al.. A bioassay for inhibition of serotonin release from bovine platelets.  Journal of Natural Products. 1992;;  55 (8) 1044-56
• 12 Brown  A MG,, Lowe  K C,, Davey  M R,, Power  J B,, Knight  A W,, Heptinstall  S.. Comparison of extraction procedures for parthenolide in Tanacetum parthenium. .  Phytochemical Analysis. 1996;;  7 86-91
• 13 Awang  D VC,, Dawson  B A,, Kindack  D G.. Parthenolide content of feverfew assessed by HPLC and H-NMR spectroscopy.  Journal of Natural Products. 1991;;  54 (6) 1516-21
• 14 De Weerdt  C J,, Bootsma  H PR,, Hendriks  H.. Herbal medicines in migraine prevention: Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled crossover trial of a feverfew preparation.  Phytomedicine. 1996;;  3 (3) 225-30
• 15 Romo  J,, Romo de Vivar  A,, Trevino  R,, Joseph-Nathan  P,, Diaz  E.. Constituents of Artemisia and Chrysanthemum species - the structures of chrysartemins A and B.  Phytochemistry. 1970;;  9 1615
• 16 Stefanovic  M,, Ristic  N,, Djermanovic  M,, Mladnovic  S.. Sesquiterpene lactones from the domestic plant species Tanacetum parthenium L. (Compositae).  Journal of the Serbian Chemical Society. 1985;;  50 435
• 17 Hancock  K.. Feverfew: Your headache may be over. Keats Publishing: New Canaan, CT.,; 1986: 24
• 18 Hylands  D M.. How to identify the correct variety of feverfew.  Migraine Matters. 1984;;  2 25-7
• 19 Knight  D W.. Feverfew: Chemistry and Biological Activity. Natural Product Reports 1995: 271-5