Common names | tansy, common tansy, bitter buttons, cow bitter, golden buttons

Scientific name | Tanacetum vulgare

Used part | Flower

Known active compounds | apigenin, acacetin, rutin, luteolin, tilianin, cosmosiin

Potential benefits in cosmetics | anti-oxidant, anti-microbial

Product name | Tansy Flower-APD, Tansy Flower-ANB

Plant Story

Tanacetum vulgare, commonly known as tansy, is a perennial, herbaceous flowering plant native to the temperate regions in Europe and Asia. It is also known as common tansy, bitter buttons, cow bitter, or golden buttons. Tansy is characterized by its clusters of yellow, button-like flowers. In traditional medicine, tansy has been used to reduce fever, to alleviate digestive issues, and to stimulate appetite. Externally, it was used as a poultice or compress to relieve joint pain and bruises. It was also used as an insect repellent due to the presence of strong aromatic compounds like camphor and thujone.

According to phytochemical studies, the main flavonoids in tansy flowers were reported to be apigenin, acacetin, luteolin, rutin, cinaroside, eupatilin, jaceidin, jaceoside, tilianin, and cosmosiin. Chlorogenic acid was isolated and identified from tansy extracts as a main compound among phenolic acids. Tansy extract shows anti-oxidant activity by scavenging free radicals, and anti-microbial activities against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans.