Dennis V. C. Awang

Parthenolide Content and Bioactivity of Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium (L.) Schultz-Bip.). Estimation of Commercial and Authenticated Feverfew Products

Abstract— Three physicochemical methods (HPLC, NMR spectroscopy, and HPLC of a derivative) have been used to measure parthenolide in authenticated Tanacetum parthenium (feverfew) and in several commercial purported feverfew products. A bioassay based on inhibition of the secretory activity of blood platelets by extracts of feverfew in comparison with parthenolide was also used. Similar results were obtained for all three physicochemical assays and also for the bioassay. Thus different methodologies yield consistent values for parthenolide content of feverfew preparations. Parthenolide appears to be mainly responsible for the antisecretory effects of extracts of feverfew. Authenticated Tanacetum parthenium grown in the UK contained a high level of parthenolide in leaves, flowering tops and seeds but a low level in stalks and roots. The level of parthenolide in powdered leaf material fell during storage. The purported feverfew products varied widely in their parthenolide content and in some products parthenolide was not detected. Possible reasons for the variation in parthenolide content are discussed. Since therapeutic efficacy has only been demonstrated for preparations of feverfew that contain parthenolide, it is suggested that manufacturers of feverfew products should use measurements of parthenolide as a means of standardization and quality control.

Determination of Reserpine in Pharmaceutical Formulations by High Performance Liquid Chromatography

Abstract High performance liquid chromatography was employed in the assay of reserpine in tablet formulations. A reverse-phase RP-8 column was used and reserpine was separated from its major degradation products and quantitated by peak-height measurement using ultraviolet detection at 254 nm and fluorescence at 330 nm excitation. Tablets analysed were within the official limits even after more than ten years following manufacture.

The Quest for the Anti-Migraine Principle(s) of Feverfew, Tanacetum parthenium (L.) Schultz Bip

Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium) has had a traditional reputation for treating fever, headache, and womens ailments. Only in the 1970s did feverfew gain popularity as a migraine prophylactic. The effectiveness of feverfew in reducing the incidence and severity of migraine headache attacks, along with alleviating associated nausea and vomiting, has been established in randomized controlled clinical trials, primarily using whole feverfew leaf, whereas more recently a supercritical carbon dioxide fluid extract has been shown successful, although only in a small subset of subjects who experienced at least four migraine attacks monthly. The demise of the formerly widely touted anti-migraine mechanism involving the sesquiterpene lactone parthenolide has focused attention on other feverfew constituents as potential candidates for the mantle of active principle.