Parthenolide

Beschreibung(-)-Parthenolide (PTL) is a natural sesquiterpene lactone produced as a secondary metabolite by plants of the Asteraceae/ Compositae (daisies) and Magnoliaceae family (magnolias). It was first isolated from feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium L. Schulz Bip. or synonymously Chrysanthemum parthenium L. Bernh.). The plant owes its name to its use as a long known natural remedy for alleviating fever, migraine, rheumatoid arthritis, stomach ache, toothache, and insect bites, among other ailments. After it was shown that parthenolide is the main biologically active ingredient of these plant(s)1b, many studies have described promising anti-inflammatory and anti-tumour properties of the natural product. Interestingly, it was shown that PTL was cytotoxic to tumor cells while almost not affecting healthy cells at similar concentrations. Moreover, it was reported to be one of the few small molecules that selectively target cancer stem cells, which are still difficult to treat and a suspected reason for tumour relapse[6].

VerwendenParthenolide is a sesquiterpene lactone from the plant feverfew (T. parthenium). It inhibits the growth of the promastigote form of L. amazonensis (IC50 = 3.6 μg/ml). Parthenolide also induces apoptosis in cancer cells, at least in part by inhibiting NF-κB- and STAT-mediated anti-apoptotic gene transcription. This compound has also been shown to block inflammation by inhibiting signaling through NF-κB. Inhibition of NF-κB by parthenolide can be achieved by direct binding of the pattern recognition receptor NOD2 by parthenolide.