Herbal remedies of the maritime Indians: Sterols and triterpenes ofTanacetum vulgare L. (Tansy)

Plant sterols and triterpenes exhibit a wide range of pharmacological activities. As part of our ongoing studies of the medicinal aspects of Maritime flora, particularly the herbal remedies of the Micmac and Malecite Indians, we determined the nature of the sterols and triterpenes of Tanacetum vulgare L. (Compositae)-a widely used herbal remedy usually referred to as tansy. By using thin layer and gas chromatographics, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, we were able to identify beta-sitosterol as the major sterol and alpha-amyrin as the major triterpene of tansy. We also identified the sterols stigmasterol, campesterol and cholesterol, and the triterpenes beta-amyrin and taraxasterol. A fourth triterpene was tentatively identified as pseudo-taraxasterol. The successful therapeutic application of this herb may be due partly to the presence of one or more of these compounds. The sterols and triterpenes of tansy have not been previously reported; neither, to our knowledge, have the NMR spectra of the amyrins and the NMR and mass spectra of taraxasterol.