Tanacetum parthenium
(Feverfew)

Therapeutic Actions:

• Antiinflammatory action similar to cortisone and NSAIDS
• Decreases smooth muscle response to endogenous substances, including:
  Acetylcholine
  Bradykinin
  Histamine
  Norepinephrine
  Prostaglandins
  Serotonin
• Diaphoretic
• Enhances secretion of inflammatory and allergic mediators including histamine and serotonin
• Inhibits initial stage of manufacture of inflammatory prostaglandins, thromboxanes and leukotrienes
• Inhibits platelet aggregation
• Tonic effect on vascular smooth muscle
• Uterine stimulant

Clinical Indications:

• Asthma, during an attack
• Dysmenorrhea
• Insomnia
• Migraine headache
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Dizziness
• Dyspepsia
• Tinnitus
• Vomiting

Contraindications:

• Pregnancy, due to emmenagogue effect
• Sensitive individual may develop exudative dermatitis from external contact

Drug/Nutrient Interaction:

• No interactions have been reported

Chemical Constituents:

• Chrysanthemonin, a dimeric germacranolide
• Essential oils:
  
  Alpha-pinene
  Beta-farnesine
  Bornyl acetate
  Bornyl angelate
  Costic acid
  L-borneol
  L-camphor
  Spiroketal enol esters
  Terpenes
• Esters:
  
  3Beta-hydroxyparthenolide
  3Betal-hydroxycostunolide
  8Alpha-hydroxyestafiatin
  Artemorin and its epoxide
  Parthenolide
  Reynosin
• Parthenolide, a sesquiterpene lactone
• Sesquiterpene lactones

Toxicity:

• Chewing the leaves may cause aphthous stomatitis
• No report of toxic reactions

Copyright 1998 - 2008 by L. Vicky Crouse, ND and James S. Reiley, ND. All rights reserved (ISSN 1527-0661).