Phytochemical, pharmacological and clinical studies of Petasites hybridus (L.) P. Gaertn., B. Mey. & Scherb. A review
Abstract
Preparations from rhizomes of Petasites hybridus (L.) Gaertn., B. Mey. & Scherb. (common
butterbur) have a long history of use in folk medicine in treatment of several diseases
as anti-inflammatory and spasmolytic drugs. Extracts from this species are of interest
to researchers in the field of phytopharmacology due to their biologically active compounds,
particularly two eremophilane sesquiterpenes (petasin and isopetasin), which
are contained not only in rhizomes and roots, but also in leaves. Moreover, P. hybridus contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which showed hepatotoxic, carcinogenic and mutagenic
properties. Hence, special extracts devoid of alkaloids obtained by sub- and super-critic
carbon dioxide extraction were used in the preclinical, clinical studies and phytotherapy.
Our review aims to provide a literature survey of pharmacological as well as clinical trials
of P. hybridus, carried out in 2000–2013. Also several studies of other species used
in non-European countries have been included. Besides, the botanical description of
Petasites genus and phytochemical characteristic of P. hybridus and toxicological studies
of pyrrolizidine alkaloids as well as chemical profile of patented commercial extracts
from rhizomes, roots and leaves of this species used in European phytotherapy have
been performed. In this review, attention has also been paid to the promising and potential
application of special extracts of P. hybridus not only in the prevention of migraine,
treatment of allergic rhinitis symptoms, asthma and hypertension, but also in prevention
and slowing the progression of neurodegenerative diseases developing with the
inflammatory process in the CNS as a new therapeutic strategy. In fact, there is already
an evidence of promising properties of P. hybridus extracts and sesquiterpens – decrease
in the prostaglandins and leukotrienes release, inhibition of COX-1 and COX-2 activity,
as well as antagonism of L-type voltage-gated calcium channels. In order to explain the
new mechanisms of action of P. hybridus extracts in the CNS and their future application
in phytotherapy of diseases with neuroinflammatory process, further studies should be
performed.