Tansy is a popular perennial plant about 1 m (39 in.) high that grows wild or cultivated in almost every temperate and cold temperature zone in the world. The plant, native to the Balkans, has oblique, branched rhizomes, erect stalk, alternate leaves resembling fern and yellow, single-head flowers (June to September). The parts used are the leaves and flowering tops. Tansy has a strong, characteristic, aromatic odor and a bitter flavor.
Composition
Upon extraction with 0.75% aqueous ammonium oxalate, the following polysaccharide fractions were isolated: tanacetans TVF, TVS and TVR from floscules, sprouts and roots, respectively, of T. vulgare L. The sugar chain of tanacetan TVF consists of D-galacturonic acid (61.4%), arabinose (14.7%), galactose (10.2%) and rhamnose (3.7%) as the main constituents as well as xylose, glucose, mannose, apiose and 2-o-methylxylose in trace amounts. Tanacetans TVS and TVR were shown to differ in the sugar quantitative composition. They contain 67 and 28% galacturonic acid, respectively.* The most frequently found monoterpene from the air-dried flower heads of tansy was camphor with or without several satellite compounds, such as camphene, 1,8-cineole, pinocamphone, chrysanthenyl acetate, bornyl acetate and isobornyl acetate. In 13 genotypes, camphor concentration exceeded 18.5% and in seven genotypes, camphor was less than 7.2%. Other chemotypes rich in trans-thujone, artemisia ketone, 1,8-cineole or davadone-D were also identified.
