Aspidium oleoresin

The tapeworm infection is a widespread helminth disease which has attracted the attention of native practitioners and physicians. The first so called "effective" herbal preparation for eradicating tapeworms from humans became available in 1775 known as "Madame Nauffer s Tapeworm Cure" [1]. The active ingredient of this remedy was male fern. Since then the extract of the rhizome of male fern (Dryop-terisfilix mas), called aspidium oleoresin, has been used as a folk remedy and also as a drug in clinical medicine to treat tapeworm infections in humans. 

Although a number of natural products have enjoyed wide usage in the treatment of various helminth diseases of man and domestic animals prior to 1960, with the advent of more effective and safer synthetic anthelmintics most of them were eventually abandoned and are now of historical value only [52]. For example, santonin was included in 25th edition of the United States Dispensary (1955), but was removed from the U.S. Medical Compendium of National Formulary (1960). Similarly, aspidium oleoresin was included in the U.S. Pharmacopeia of 1960 and the full clinical usage of this drug was available in the U.S. Dispensary only until 1973 [1]. This makes the description of SAR and synthesis of most of the anthelmintic natural products less meaningful and is, therefore, not discussed in the present text. However, the SAR profile of avermectins and milbemycins is discussed, of which the former have in recent years been used extensively in the treatment of onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis in humans [20]. 

Oleoresin of Aspidium. Oleoresin of male fern. An ether extract of male fern containing not less than 24% crude filicin. 

Aspidium. Male fern male shield-fern filix mas (B.P.). Rhizome and stipes of Dryopteris filix-mas (L.) Schott., Foiypodiaeeae. Habit. North America, Northern Asia. Europe. Northern Africa. Constit. Filicic and flav-aspidic acids, volatile oil, ashaspidin, filicin. filmaron. fiI Lx red, resin. It yields not less than 6.5% oleoresin (U.S.P.)... 

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