Atta-ur-Rahman (Ed.) Studies in Natural Products Chemistry, Vol 27 © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. 547 CHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION AND BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES OF THE GENUS TANACETUM (COMPOSITAE) NEZHUN GOREN^'*, NAZLI ARDA^ AND ZERRIN gALISKAN^ ^Yildiz Technical University, Faculty ofScience and Arts, Department of Biology, Main Campus, Qukursaray, 80750Besiktas-Istanbul,Turkey *• University of Istanbul, Faculty ofScience, Department ofBiology, Vezneciler 34459'Istanbul, Turkey ABSTRACT: The genus Tanacetiim has been used as medicinal plants for over 2000 years. Interest in the genus has been stimulated by its biological activities, particularly as insect antifeedants, antitumor and antimicrobial activities due to its sesquiterpenoid constituents. The genus Tanacetum is represented by c.a.70 species in the world and by 44 in Turkey. It is an Asia centered genus which is widespread in the Northern Hemisphere and temperate regions. Tanacetum species contain mainly sesquiterpenoids and flavonoids, whereas the other terpenoids and phenolic compounds are rarely found. Sesquiterpenoids which are the main constituents of the genus, supposed to be bioactive principles of the plants. Flavonoids and essential oils are also pointed out as active substances in some species. On the other hand, there is a confusion on the systematic position and classification of several species of Asteraceae, therefore chemotaxonomy of the species will help the systematic studies. Since the importance of sesquiterpenes, sesquiterpene lactones and flavonoids from the chemosystematic and the biological point of views, especially the chemistry and the biological activities of these compounds will be reviewed in this chapter, while the essential oils and the acetylenic compounds will not be mentioned. 1. INTRODUCTION The genus Tanacetum is distributed in Europe and in West Asia throughout the northern temperate regions. Tanacetum species (Asteraceae = Compositae) are small, medium-sized or tall (stems 6-150 cm), annual or herbaceous perennial, often aromatic herbs, with white or yellow outer florets [1]. This genus has about 150-200 species [2] and is represented by 44 species alltogether 59 taxa in Turkey, 17 of them being endemic [3]. These plants grow in gardens, waste areas or along roadsides, creek banks, river-gravels, forest shades, margins of fields, pasturelands, on mountain steppes, limestone rocks, slopes, crevices and screes up to 3600 m altitude. Some species are extensively cultivated for ornament and as pot- herb almost throughout Europe.