In 1973, at the suggestion of a friend, and apparently based on the advice of a traditional Welsh healer, a Welsh woman Mrs Anne Jenkins tried taking three fresh leaves of feverfew iJanacetum parthenium) each day in an attempt to rid herself of severe and recurrent migraines. After ten months, Mrs Jenkins' headaches had vanished and did not return as long as she kept taking feverfew. Her enthus...

The herb feverfew is a folk remedy for various symptoms including inflammation. Inflammation has recently been implicated in the genesis of many diseases including cancers, atherosclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. The mechanisms of action of feverfew in the human body are largely unknown. To determine the cellular targets of feverfew extracts, we have utilized oligo microarrays to study the ge...

Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium) is a medicinal herb that has long enjoyed traditional use as a remedy for migraine headache pain. The aerial parts of Feverfew (flowers, leaves and stems) contain parthenolide (a sesquiterpene lactone) which is believed to be responsible for the plant's biological activity. Dried feverfew aerial parts should contain approximately 0.2-0.5 wt.% parthenolide and adu...

Oral administration of the feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium) extract led to significant antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects against acetic acid-induced writhing in mice and carrageenan-induced paw edema in rats, respectively. These responses were dose-dependent (10, 20, 40 mg/kg, p.o.). Parthenolide (1, 2 mg/kg i.p.), the active constituent of the extract also produced antinociceptive a...

OBJECTIVE Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium L.) is a popular herbal remedy often advocated for the prevention of migraine. The aims of this systematic review are to update the evidence from rigorous clinical trials for or against the efficacy of feverfew for migraine prevention and to provide a safety profile of this herbal remedy. DESIGN Literature searches were performed using the following da...

Seventeen patients who ate fresh leaves of feverfew daily as prophylaxis against migraine participated in a double blind placebo controlled trial of the herb: eight patients received capsules containing freeze dried feverfew powder and nine placebo. Those who received placebo had a significant increase in the frequency and severity of headache, nausea, and vomiting with the emergence of untowar...

Feverfew is a traditional herbal remedy for a wide range of medical conditions, including migraine and arthritis1−4. The plant contains a large number of natural products, but the active principles probably include one or more of the sesquiterpene lactones known to be present, including parthenolide (Figure 1)5−6. Feverfew can be taken in a variety of forms, including the raw leaf or tablets or...

Feverfew has been used since antiquity to treat inflammatory conditions. Extracts of the herb were found to inhibit mitogen-induced tritiated thymidine ([3H]-TdR) uptake by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), interleukin 2 (IL-2)-induced [3H]-TdR uptake by lymphoblasts and PGE2 release by interleukin 1 (IL-1)-stimulated synovial cells. Parthenolide, a major secondary metabolite fro...

Feverfew, reputed by folklore to be effective in arthritis, has in vitro properties that could be beneficial in the control of inflammatory disease. Forty one female patients with symptomatic rheumatoid arthritis received either dried chopped feverfew (70-86 mg) or placebo capsules once daily for six weeks. Allocation was random and not known by patient or observer. Variables assessed included ...