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GUELPH, CANADA. A low level of melatonin in the body has been associated with
chronic migraine headaches. It is also known that the frequency and severity of
migraine attacks can be reduced in some patients if they take the herb feverfew.
Now researchers at the University of Guelph report that some herbs recommended
for treatment of migraine and several nervous conditions contain significant
levels of melatonin. The researchers analyzed samples of feverfew (Tanacetum
parthenium), St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum), and Huang-qin
(Scutellaria biacalensis). The melatonin content of feverfew varied
between 1.37 and 2.45 micrograms per gram of leaf depending on the preparation
method. The flowers of St. John's wort were found to contain 4.39 micrograms
per gram while the leaves contained 1.75 micrograms per gram. Huang-qin, a herb
used in Chinese medicine, had the highest content of melatonin at 7.11
micrograms per gram. Prior research has shown that consumption of herbs and
edible plants containing melatonin increases the supply of circulating melatonin
in mammals. The researchers conclude that the beneficial effects observed with
feverfew, St. John's wort, and Huang-qin may be at least partially due to the
melatonin content of these herbs.
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