Airborne Compositae dermatitis: monoterpenes and no parthenolide are released from flowering Tanacetum parthenium (feverfew) plants

The air around intact feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium) plants was examined f or the presence of airborne parthenolide and other potential allergens usin g a high-volume air sampler and a dynamic headspace technique. No particle- bound parthenolide was detected in the former. Among volatiles emitted from the aerial parts of feverfew plants and collected by the dynamic headspace technique a total of 41 compounds, mainly monoterpenes, were identified an d quantified by GC and GC-MS, alpha-Pinene, camphene, limonene, gamma-terpi nene, (E)-beta-ocimene, linalool, p-cymene, (E)-chrysanthenol, camphor and (E)-chrysanthenyl acetate were the predominant monoterpenes accounting for nearly 88% of the total volatiles emitted, The average total yield of volat iles emitted over 24 h was 18,160 ng/g fresh weight of leaves and flowers, corresponding to the emission of approximately 8 mg volatiles per day from one fullgrown feverfew plant, No parthenolide or other sesquiterpene lacton es were detected. The present investigation does not support the theory of airborne sesquiterpene lactone-containing plant parts or of direct release of sesquiterpene lactones from living plants as the only explanations for a irborne Compositae dermatitis. Potential allergens were found among the emi tted monoterpenes and their importance in airborne Compositae dermatitis is discussed.