Tanacetum parthenium

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Feverfew
Feverfew.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Tanacetum
Species:
T. parthenium
Binomial name
Tanacetum parthenium
Synonyms
  • Chrysanthemum parthenium(L.) Bernh.
  • Matricaria partheniumL.
  • Pyrethrum parthenium(L.) Sm.

Tanacetum parthenium, known as feverfew, [1] is a flowering plant in the daisy family, Asteraceae. It may be grown as an ornament, and may be identified by its synonyms, Chrysanthemum parthenium and Pyrethrum parthenium. It is used in traditional medicine.

Contents

Description

The plant is a herbaceous perennial that grows into a small bush, [2] up to 70 cm (28 in) high, with pungently-scented leaves. The leaves are light yellowish green, variously pinnatifid. The conspicuous daisy-like flowers are up to 20 millimetres (34 in) across, borne in lax corymbs. The outer, ray florets have white ligules and the inner, disc florets are yellow and tubular. It spreads rapidly by seed, and will cover a wide area after a few years. [3] [4] The plant produces achene fruit, and grows in stony slopes and river beds. [5]

Location and cultivation

Feverfew is native to Eurasia, specifically the Balkan Peninsula, Anatolia, and the Caucasus, but cultivation has spread it around the world and the rest of Europe, North America, and Chile. [2] [6]

A perennial herb, it should be planted in full sun, 38 to 46 cm (15–18 in) apart, and cut back to the ground in the autumn. It grows up to 70 cm (28 in) tall. It is hardy to USDA zone 5 (−30 °C or −22 °F). Outside of its native range, it may become an invasive weed. [7]

Uses

Leaf of feverfew Tanacetum parthenium Blatt.JPG
Leaf of feverfew
The chemical structure of parthenolide Parthenolide.svg
The chemical structure of parthenolide

Phytochemicals and traditional medicine

Feverfew contains parthenolide, which is under basic research to assess its possible properties. [8] Other phytochemicals include camphor, parthenolide, luteolin, and apigenin. [9] Camphor has aromatic properties, while luteolin and apigenin are flavonoids. [9]

In traditional medicine, feverfew has been used to treat headache, but there is no confirmed scientific evidence that it has any effect. [2] [10] [8]

Feverfew is registered as a traditional herbal medicine in the Nordic countries under the brand name Glitinum. Only powdered feverfew is approved in the European Union herbal monograph. [11]

Dietary supplement

The parthenolide content of commercially available feverfew supplements varies substantially (by more than 40-fold) despite labeling claims of "standardization". [12]

Adverse effects

Long-term use of feverfew followed by abrupt discontinuation may induce a withdrawal syndrome featuring rebound headaches and muscle and joint pains. [8] Feverfew may cause allergic reactions in those allergic to the daisy family, including contact dermatitis or swelling and numbness of the mouth. [8] Other side effects have included gastrointestinal upset such as mild nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and flatulence, which are, fortunately mild and transient. [8] When the herb is chewed or taken orally it may cause mouth ulcers. [8] Feverfew should not be taken by pregnant women. [8] It may interact with blood thinners and increase the risk of bleeding, and also may interact with a variety of medications metabolized by the liver. [8]

History and etymology

The word feverfew derives from the Latin word febrifugia, meaning 'fever reducer', [13] although it no longer is considered useful for that purpose.

Although its earliest medicinal use is unknown, it was documented in the 1st century CE as an anti-inflammatory by the Greek herbalist physician Dioscorides. [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asteraceae</span> Large family of flowering plants

Asteraceae is a large family of flowering plants that consists of over 32,000 known species in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. The number of species in Asteraceae is rivaled only by the Orchidaceae, and which is the larger family is unclear as the quantity of extant species in each family is unknown. The Asteraceae were first described in the year 1740 and given the original name Compositae. The family is commonly known as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chamomile</span> Common name for several daisy-like plants

Chamomile or camomile is the common name for several daisy-like plants of the family Asteraceae. Two of the species, Matricaria chamomilla and Chamaemelum nobile, are commonly used to make herbal infusions for beverages. There has been limited research as to whether consuming chamomile in foods or beverages is effective in treating medical conditions.

<i>Tanacetum</i> Genus of flowering plants

Tanacetum is a genus of about 160 species of flowering plants in the aster family, Asteraceae, native to many regions of the Northern Hemisphere. They are known commonly as tansies. The name tansy can refer specifically to Tanacetum vulgare, which may be called the common tansy or garden tansy for clarity. The generic name Tanacetum means 'immortality' in Botanical Latin, since tansy was once placed between the burial sheets of the dead to repel vermin.

<i>Artemisia vulgaris</i> Medicinal herb known as common mugwort

Artemisia vulgaris, the common mugwort, is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family Asteraceae. It is one of several species in the genus Artemisia commonly known as mugwort, although Artemisia vulgaris is the species most often called mugwort. It is also occasionally known as riverside wormwood, felon herb, chrysanthemum weed, wild wormwood, old Uncle Henry, sailor's tobacco, naughty man, old man, or St. John's plant. Mugworts have been used medicinally and as culinary herbs.

<i>Leucanthemum vulgare</i> Species of flowering plant

Leucanthemum vulgare, commonly known as the ox-eye daisy, oxeye daisy, dog daisy, marguerite and other common names, is a widespread flowering plant native to Europe and the temperate regions of Asia, and an introduced plant to North America, Australia and New Zealand.

<i>Matricaria chamomilla</i> Species of flowering plant

Matricaria chamomilla, commonly known as chamomile, German chamomile, Hungarian chamomile (kamilla), wild chamomile, blue chamomile, or scented mayweed, is an annual plant of the composite family Asteraceae. Commonly, the name M. recutita is applied to the herbal product chamomile, although other species are also used as chamomile. The plant is commonly used to make a tea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tansy</span> Species of plant

Tansy is a perennial, herbaceous flowering plant in the genus Tanacetum in the aster family, native to temperate Europe and Asia. It has been introduced to other parts of the world, including North America, and in some areas has become invasive. It is also known as common tansy, bitter buttons, cow bitter, or golden buttons. The Latin word vulgare means "common".

<i>Bellis perennis</i> Flowering plant in the daisy family Asteraceae

Bellis perennis, the daisy, is a European species of the family Asteraceae, often considered the archetypal species of the name daisy. To distinguish this species from other plants known as daisies, it is sometimes qualified or known as common daisy, lawn daisy or English daisy.

<i>Echinacea angustifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Echinacea angustifolia, the narrow-leaved purple coneflower or blacksamson echinacea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to North America, where it is widespread across much of the Great Plains of central Canada and the central United States, with additional populations in surrounding regions.

<i>Antennaria dioica</i> Species of flowering plant

Antennaria dioica is a Eurasian and North American species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is a perennial herb found in cool northern and mountainous regions of Europe and northern Asia (Russia, Mongolia, Japan, Kazakhstan, China, and also in North America.

<i>Tanacetum balsamita</i> Species of herb

Tanacetum balsamita is a perennial temperate herb known as costmary, alecost, balsam herb, bible leaf, or mint geranium. A fragrant plant native to southern Europe and western Asia, it has been used over centuries for culinary, aromatic, and traditional medicine purposes.

<i>Parthenium</i> Genus of shrubs

Parthenium is a genus of North American annuals, biennials, perennials, subshrubs, and shrubs in the tribe Heliantheae within the family Asteraceae and subfamily Asteroideae.

<i>Galinsoga parviflora</i> Species of flowering plants in the daisy family Asteraceae

Galinsoga parviflora is a species of herbaceous plant in the daisy family Asteraceae. It has several common names including guasca (Colombia), pacpa yuyo, paco yuyo, and waskha (Peru), burrionera (Ecuador), albahaca silvestre and saetilla (Argentina), mielcilla, piojito, galinsoga, gallant soldier, quickweed, and potato weed.

A serotonin antagonist, or serotonin receptor antagonist, is a drug used to inhibit the action of serotonin and serotonergic drugs at serotonin (5-HT) receptors.

Preventive treatment of migraine can be an important component of migraine management. The goals of preventive therapy are to reduce the frequency, painfulness, and/or duration of migraine attacks, and to increase the effectiveness of abortive therapy. Another reason to pursue prevention is to avoid medication overuse headache (MOH), otherwise known as rebound headache, which can arise from overuse of pain medications, and can result in chronic daily headache. Preventive treatments of migraine include medications, nutritional supplements, lifestyle alterations, and surgery. Prevention is recommended in those who have headaches more than two days a week, cannot tolerate the medications used to treat acute attacks, or those with severe attacks that are not easily controlled.

<i>Tanacetum camphoratum</i> Species of flowering plant

Tanacetum camphoratum is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common names camphor tansy and dune tansy. It is native to the Pacific Coast of North America from British Columbia to California, where it grows in sand dunes and other coastline habitat. This species may be known by the synonym Tanacetum douglasii and is often included in Tanacetum bipinnatum. It is a rhizomatous perennial herb with a thick, low-lying stem up to 25 centimeters long, branching to form a mass of vegetation. It is hairy, glandular, and aromatic, with a camphor scent. The leaves are up to 25 centimeters long and thick but featherlike, divided into many narrow leaflets on each side of the main rachis. Each leaflet in turn has many segments along each side, and the segments are usually divided into several small, knobby segments with folded or curled edges. The inflorescence bears up to 15 flower heads, each about a centimeter wide or slightly wider. Each head contains many yellowish disc florets and many pistillate florets around the edges. The latter may have minute ray florets. The fruit is an achene a few millimeters long which is tipped with a small pappus of toothed scales.

<i>Parthenium hysterophorus</i> Species of flowering plant

Parthenium hysterophorus is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to the American tropics. Common names include Santa-Maria, Santa Maria feverfew, whitetop weed, and famine weed. In India, it is locally known as carrot grass, congress grass or gajar ghas or dhanura. It is a common invasive species in India, Australia, and parts of Africa.

Parthenium alpinum is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common names alpine feverfew and Wyoming feverfew. It is native to Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico in the United States.

<i>Rayjacksonia aurea</i> Species of flowering plant

Rayjacksonia aurea is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common names Houston tansyaster and Houston camphor daisy. It is endemic to Texas in the United States, where it is known only from the Houston area. It is limited to Galveston and Harris Counties.

<i>Parthenium integrifolium</i> Species of flowering plant

Parthenium integrifolium is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common names wild quinine, American feverfew, and eastern feverfew. It is native to the eastern and midwestern United States.

References

  1. USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Tanacetum parthenium". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, US National Institutes of Health. "Feverfew" . Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  3. Parnell, J. and Curtis. 2012. Webb's An Irish Flora. Cork University Press. ISBN   978-185918-4783
  4. Clapham, A.R, Tutin, T.G. and Warburg, E.F. 1968. Excursion Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press. ISBN   0-521-04656-4
  5. Izadi Z, Esna-Ashari M, Piri K, Davoodi P (2010). "Chemical Composition and Antimicrobial Activity of Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium) Essential Oil". International Journal of Agriculture & Biology: 459–463 via CABI Digital Library.
  6. Jeffrey C (2001). "Tanacetum parthenium". Mansfeld's World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops.
  7. Hadjikyriakou G, Hadjisterkotis E (2002). "The adventive plants of Cyprus with new records of invasive species". Zeitschrift für Jagdwissenschaft. 48 (S1). Springer Science and Business Media: 59–71. doi:10.1007/bf02192393. ISSN   0044-2887. S2CID   42896188.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Feverfew". Drugs.com. 10 December 2020. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  9. 1 2 Wu C, Chen F, Wang X, Kim HJ, He Gq, Haley-Zitlin V, Huang G (May 2006). "Antioxidant constituents in feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium) extract and their chromatographic quantification". Food Chemistry. 96 (2): 220–227. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2005.02.024.
  10. Pittler MH, Ernst E (2004). Pittler MH (ed.). "Feverfew for preventing migraine". Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (1): CD002286. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD002286.pub2. PMID   14973986.
  11. "Tanaceti parthenii herba". European Medicines Agency. 20 October 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  12. Draves AH, Walker SE (2004). "Parthenolide content of Canadian commercial feverfew preparations: Label claims are misleading in most cases" (PDF). Canadian Pharmacists Journal. 136 (10): 23–30. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-04-20.
  13. "Feverfew". University of Maryland . Retrieved 6 October 2011.
  14. "Agricultural (Herbs and Spices): Feverfew Information". Government of Saskatchewan. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012. Retrieved 6 January 2012.