Tanacetum genus

Chemical characterization and biological activities of the genus Tanacetum (Compositae)... 

CHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION AND BIOLOGICAL ACTIVrnES OF THE GENUS TANACETUM (COMPOSITAE)... 

ABSTRACT The genus Tanacetum has been used as medicinal plants for over 2000 years. Interest in the genus has been stimulated by its biological activities, particularly as insect antifeedants, antitumor and antimicrobial activities due to its sesquiterpenoid constituents. The genus Tanacetum is represented by c.a.70 species in the world and by 44 in Turkey. It is an Asia centered genus which is widespread in the Northern Hemisphere and temperate regions. 

Tanacetum species have been used as remedies in traditional medicine since ancient times in all over the world. Although many species of the genus Tanacetum, such as T. annuum, T. halsamita, T. indicum, T. nubigenum, T. santolinoides, T. vulgare and T. parthenium are used therapeutically around the world the last two are the most studied and the best characterized [8]. 

Pyrethrins (such as 96 and 97, Fig. 19.21 and 19.22) are of special interest because of their insecticidal properties and ecomonic importance (Mabry and Gill, 1979). These compounds are isolated from the genus Chrysanthemum (sometimes segregated as species of Pyrethrum, or transferred to the genus Tanacetum). Several species are cultivated and the flowers harvested and extracted with lipid solvents (such as petroleum ether) to yield a crude p3n-ethrin fraction. 

Tanacetum species contain mainly sesquiterpenoids and flavonoids, whereas the other terpenoids and phenolic compounds are rarely found. Sesquiterpenoids which are the main constituents of the genus, supposed to be bioactive principles of the plants. Flavonoids and essential oils are also pointed out as active substances in some species. On the other hand, there is a confusion on the systematic position and classification of several species of Asteraceae, therefore chemotaxonomy of the species will help the systematic studies. 

The distribution of the terpenoids will be given in Table 1, and the spectral data of the new compounds isolated first from Tanacetum species will be displayed in Tables 2, 3 and 4. The occurance of the flavonoids in the genus will be presented in Table 5 and their structures in Fig. (1-3). 

P-Sitosterol and stigmasterol are the common steroids in the genus. So far only few common triterpenes such as friedelin (207), e/ /-fnedelinol (208), a-amyrin (204), P-amyrin (205), a-amyrin acetate (206), taraxasterol (213), lupeyl acetate (209), magnificol (210) were isolated from Tanacetum species. However, T. sinaicum afforded unusual new malabaricane type triterpenoids 3p-acetoxymalabarican-14(26),17E,21-triene (211) and 3-oxo-malabarica-14(26),17E,21-triene (212) (Table 1). 

Flavonoids occured mostly as methyl esters in Tanacetum species. Although methylated flavones, flavonols and agylcones are the main phenolic compounds, glycosides, flavonones, and a few coumarin derivatives are also present in the genus. 

Tanacetum parthenium Schulz-Bip, formerly Chrysanthemum parthenium (L.) Bernh, Leucanthemum parthenium (L.) Gren and Gordon, Pyrethum parthenium (L.) Sm also described as a member of the genus Matricaria (1,4) featherfew, altamisa, bachelor s button, featherfoil, febrifuge plant, midsummer daisy, nosebleed, Santa Maria, wild chamomile, wild quinine (1), amargosa, flirtwort, manzanilla, mutterkraut, varadika (4). 

In former times, either species was a genus of its own, but both are placed now in the Tanacetum genus of about 160 species of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. 

---