title: Pharmacological activity of feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium (L.) Schultz-Bip.): assessment by inhibition of human polymorphonuclear leukocyte chemiluminescence in-vitro.
abstract: The bioactivity of feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium) leaf extracts has been analysed, by use of a human polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMNL) bioassay, to assess the relative contributions of solvent extraction and parthenolide content to the biological potency of the extract. Extracts prepared in acetone-ethanol (system 1) contained significantly more parthenolide (mean +/- s.d. 1.3 +/- 0.2% dry leaf weight) than extracts in chloroform-PBS (phosphate-buffered saline; system 2; 0.1 +/- 0.04% dry leaf weight) or PBS alone (system 3; 0.5 +/- 0.1% dry leaf weight). Extract bioactivity, measured as inhibition of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-induced, 5-amino-2,3-dihydro-1,4-phthalazinedione (luminol)-enhanced PMNL, chemiluminescence, followed a similar trend. Extracts inhibited phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-induced oxidative burst by amounts which, if solely attributable to parthenolide, indicated parthenolide concentrations for the respective solvent systems of 2.2 +/- 0.6%, 0.2 +/- 0.1% and 0.9 +/- 0.1% dry leaf weight. The mean ratio of parthenolide concentration to the parthenolide equivalent/PMNL-bioactivity value, for acetone-ethanol and PBS extracts were both 1:1.7. Parthenolide, although a key determinant of biological activity for T. parthenium leaf extracts based on the PMNL-bioassay, seems not to be the sole pharmacologically-active constituent. The identical and elevated bioactivity-parthenolide ratios for both organic and aqueons-phase leaf extracts suggest that a proportion of the other bioactive compounds have solubilities similar to that of parthenolide.
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science, University of Nottingham, University Park, UK.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Davey
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Power
authors.forename: K C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Lowe
mesh_terms: D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D006801:Humans; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D018375:Neutrophil Activation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*; D016897:Respiratory Burst / Q000187:drug effects; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012997:Solvents; D020903:Tanacetum parthenium; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; D012997:Solvents; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate