Yanwen Guo

Genetic transformation of Anthemis nobilis L. (Roman chamomille)

General account concerning the distribution, importance, and biologically active constituents of Anthemis nobilis has been reported by Fauconnier et al. (1996). A. nobilis, the so-called Roman chamomile, is a perennial herb belonging to the Asteraceae family. It is native to southwest Europe and has spread all over Europe. It grows also in southwest Asia. The flower heads, the commercial drug, are used in traditional medicine for their pharmacological properties related to several groups of secondary metabolites: a sedative property has been attributed to the presence of esters (Melegari et al. 1988), antiinflammatory activity to flavonoids (Achterrath-Tuckermann et al. 1980; Della Loggia 1986), sesquiterpene lactones (Hall et al. 1979), and azulenes (Issac and Kristen 1980), antispasmodic activity to apiin and luteoside (Duke 1987), antibacterial activity to sesquiterpenic lactones and essential oil constituents (Rodriguez et al. 1979), and cytotoxicity to the presence of nobilin, and derivatives such as 1,10-epoxynobilin and 3-dehydronobilin (Leung 1980). Extracts from A. nobilis are also added to cosmetics, shampoos, and bath preparations, hair dye formulas, preparations for mouth washes, creams, and gels to treat cracked nipples (Proserpio et al. 1983; Rovesti et al. 1983).