Fatty acid composition of extract from pyrethrum flowers (Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium)

Abstract

The fatty acid fraction from an unrefined commercial pyrethrum extract containing 30% "pyrethrins" was isolated and the methyl esters were separated by column chromatography on silica gel into saturated or olefinic nonhydroxy acids and a hydroxy acid fraction. Combined fatty acids represented up to 40% of the pyrethrum extract, approximately 18% being nonhydroxy fatty acids. The latter were examined by gas chromatography and a series of normal saturated acids from C!4 to C30 was identified. The major acids were palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, and linolenic, which together constituted up to 90% of the nonhydroxy fatty acids. Pyrethrum flowers of clonal origin containing different proportions of the six insecticidal constituents had similar fatty acid composition.

Preclinical anti-HSV-1 activity of aqueous and methanol extracts of Kenya grown pyrethrum (Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium)

“…Increase in heart beat in some mice was noticed during the first 20 min. According to a previous study (Rao et al, 1973;Sashida et al, 1983) flavonoid, fatty acids (Head, 1968) and essential oils (Saggar et al, 1997) were identified in Pyrethrum plant.…”