Search Results (12)

The genus Acmella has received growing attention for its pharmacological properties, including its potential applications in musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Plants in this genus, such as Spilanthes acmella, Blainvillea acmella, Acmella uliginosa, and Acmella oleracea contain various bioactive compounds which have demonstrated anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and anti-arthritic properties. This systematic review evaluates the clinical and preclinical evidence supporting the use of plants from Acmella genus for the treatment of MSD, such as arthritis, osteoporosis, muscle injuries, joint inflammation, and other related pathologies. The methodology used in this study involved a systematic literature review, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines, along with synthesis analysis and quality appraisal. The articles were retrieved from Scopus, Google Scholar, and PubMed databases. Eleven articles were further analyzed to determine the therapeutic potential of Acmella genus plants for musculoskeletal disorders. The plants included were Spilanthes acmella, Blainvillea acmella, Acmella uliginosa, and Acmella olerecia. The musculoskeletal disorders investigated were osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and myopathies. The extracts from these plants were shown to decrease inflammation, enhance joint health, relieve pain, and stimulate osteogenic activity. These effects may be attributed to several active compounds found in these plants. The available evidence suggests that Spilanthes acmella and Blainvillea acmella have the potential to treat osteoporosis. Acmella oleracea and Acmella uliginosa have the potential to be used for the treatment of osteoarthritis, while Spilanthes acmella is used to treat myopathies. Further research is needed to establish the efficacy, optimal dosing, and safety of these plants. Full article

Background: Dermatitis is skin disorder that is complicated by recurrent infections of skin by bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Spilanthol is an active constituent of Spilanthes acmella, which possess strong anti-bacterial properties. The purpose of this study was to develop a herbal emulgel for the treatment of dermal bacterial infections, as microscopic organisms have created solid resistance against anti-microbials. Methods: Emulgels were prepared and characterized for parameters such as physical examination, rheological studies, spreading coefficient, bio-adhesive strength measurement, extrudability study, antibacterial activity, FTIR analysis, in vitro drug dissolution, and ex vivo permeation studies. Result: With a statistically significant p-value = 0.024, 100% antibacterial activity was observed by F4 against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli (mean ± S.D) (25.33 ± 0.28, 27.33 ± 0.5, and 27 ± 0.5). However, maximum antibacterial effect 100% formulations produced zones of inhibitions against E. colip-value = 0.001. The mean zone of inhibition produced by F4 was greatest among all at 26.44 ± 0.37 mm (mean ± S.D). The F4 formulation produced a maximum percentage dissolution, permeation, and flux of 86.35 ± 0.576, 55.29 ± 0.127%, and 0.5532 ug/cm²/min, respectively. Conclusions: The present study therefore, suggests the use of S. acmella extract and olive oil containing emulgel for treating bacterial skin infections. Full article

Through allelopathic interactions, plants may either suppress competing species or promote those that may help them better adapt to their environment. The purpose of this research was to determine how the root exudates of 15 common weeds affected the germination of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Every other day, 15 seeds were dispersed over Petri dishes (with filter paper) and pots (with garden soil) and treated with 1 mL and 5 mL of aqueous root exudates, respectively. Distilled water had the highest germination rate at 86.33% and the lowest at 64.00% (p = 0.001) for Commelina benghalensis in the Petri dish containing root exudates. The seed germination percentage of the pot condition was the lowest, at 68.45% (p = 0.004), for Solanum nigrum, while the control was 87.23%. Similarly, the lowest shoot length, 12.01 cm (p = 0.0025) in Mikania micrantha, and the lowest root length of 2.17 cm (p = 0.0048) in Leucas aspera, were recorded, whereas the control was 19.13 cm and 3.46 cm, respectively, in Petri dishes. In addition, the lowest shoot and root growth were 9.72 cm (p = 0.0004) in Mikania micrantha and 4.34 cm (p = 0.0019) in Spilanthes acmella, while the control was at 20.13 cm and 6.42 cm, respectively, for pot culture. Furthermore, in seedlings, biomass studies of treated T. aestivum showed elevated malonaldehyde (MDA) levels in both Petri dishes and pot cultures. However, chlorophyll a and b levels, as well as those of the antioxidant enzymes catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), are lower than in the control group. Both enzymes were elevated in pot cultures compared to those grown in Petri plates. The dry weight of T. aestivum seedlings cultivated in pots and Petri dishes demonstrated its considerable allelopathic influence. This research found that the root exudates of all the weeds studied could have the capacity to impede wheat seed germination as well as the development of wheat seedlings. These inhibitory effects were higher in Petri dishes than in pot cultures. Full article

Oxidative stress and inflammation are two common risk factors of various life-threatening disease pathogenesis. In recent years, medicinal plants that possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities were extensively studied for their potential role in treating and preventing diseases. Spilanthes acmella (S. acmella), which has been traditionally used to treat toothache in Malaysia, contains various active metabolites responsible for its anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and anesthetic bioactivities. These bioactivities were attributed to bioactive compounds, such as phenolic, flavonoids, and alkamides. The review focused on the summarization of in vitro and in vivo experimental reports on the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions of S. acmella, as well as how they contributed to potential health benefits in lowering the risk of diseases that were related to oxidative stress. The molecular mechanism of S. acmella in reducing oxidative stress and inflammatory targets, such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), transcription factors of the nuclear factor-κB family (NF-κB), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways were discussed. Besides, the antioxidant potential of S. acmella was measured by total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonid content (TFC), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and superoxide anion radical scavenging (SOD) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) assays. This review revealed that S. acmella might have a potential role as a reservoir of bioactive agents contributing to the observed antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and health beneficial effects. Full article

Acmella oleracea L. is an important medicinal plant, commonly known as the toothache plant. It is a rich source of secondary metabolites used for the treatment of different human disorders. The demand for Acmella oleracea L. has increased due to its putative health benefits (in terms of both biomass quantity and bioactive compound purification). In vitro plant cultures have allowed the rapid increase of raw material availability through the use of suitable regeneration and multiplication systems. On the other hand, there is a general lack of methods for Acmella genetic transformation as a promising new technological approach for the improvement of secondary metabolites. In this work, an efficient transformation protocol has been established using the Agrobacterium tumefaciens LBA4404 strain bearing the binary vector pBI121 containing the NPTII gene for the resistance to kanamycin. Plant genetic transformation has been verified by direct polymerase chain reaction and GUS assay on regenerants. Transformation efficiency has been affected by the high level of the selection agent kanamycin. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the genetic transformation of A. oleracea, paving the way to further studies to improve in vitro plant growth and secondary metabolite production. Full article

In the present study, the corrosion inhibition effect of Spilanthes acmella aqueous leaves extract (SA-LE) on mild steel was investigated in 1.0 M HCl solution at different temperature using weight loss, Tafel polarization, linear polarization resistance (LPR), and electrochemical impedance (EIS) measurements. Adsorption of inhibitor on the surface of the mild steel obeyed both Langmuir and Temkin adsorption isotherms. The thermodynamic and kinetic parameters were also calculated to determine the mechanism of corrosion inhibition. The inhibition efficiency was found to increase with an increase in the inhibitor concentration i.e., Spilanthes acmella aqueous leaves extract, however, the inhibition efficiency decreased with an increase in the temperature. The phytochemical constituents with functional groups including electronegative hetero atoms such as N, O, and S in the extract adsorbed on the metal surface are found responsible for the effective performance of the inhibitor, which was confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopic (UV-Vis) studies. Protective film formation against corrosion was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and contact angle studies. The result shows that the leaves extract acts as corrosion inhibitor and is able to promote surface protection by blocking active sites on the metal. Full article

In our continuing research for bioactive constituents from natural resources, a new methyl threonolactone glucopyranoside (1), a new methyl threonolactone fructofuranoside (2), 2 new pyroglutamates (3 and 4), and 10 known compounds (5–14) were isolated from the whole plant of Spilanthes acmella (L.) L. The structures of these compounds were determined based on various spectroscopic and chemical analyses. All of the isolated compounds were evaluated on bone formation parameters, such as ALP (alkaline phosphatase) and mineralization stimulatory activities of MC3T3-E1 cell lines. The results showed that the new compound, 1,3-butanediol 3-pyroglutamate (4), 2-deoxy-d-ribono-1,4-lactone (6), methyl pyroglutamate (7), ampelopsisionoside (10), icariside B₁ (11), and benzyl α-l-arabinopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-d-glucopyranoside (12) stimulated both ALP and mineralization activities. Full article

Activated macrophages upregulate inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) leading to the profuse production of nitric oxide (NO) and, eventually, tissue damage. Using macrophage NO production as a biochemical marker of inflammation, we tested different parts (flower, leaf, and stem) of the medicinal plant, Spilanthes acmella. We found that extracts prepared from all three parts, especially the flowers, suppressed NO production in RAW macrophages in response to interferon-γ and lipopolysaccharide. Follow up experiments with selected bioactive molecules from the plant (α-amyrin, β-caryophylline, scopoletin, vanillic acid, trans-ferulic acid, and spilanthol) indicated that the N-alkamide, spilanthol, is responsible for the NO-suppressive effects and provides protection from NO-dependent cell death. Spilanthol reduced the expression of iNOS mRNA and protein and, as a possible underlying mechanism, inhibited the activation of several transcription factors (NFκB, ATF4, FOXO1, IRF1, ETS, and AP1) and sensitized cells to downregulation of Smad (TF array experiments). The iNOS inhibitory effect translated into an anti-inflammatory effect, as demonstrated in a phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-induced dermatitis and, to a smaller extent, in cerulein-induced pancreatitis. In summary, we demonstrate that spilanthol inhibits iNOS expression, NO production and suppresses inflammatory TFs. These events likely contribute to the observed anti-inflammatory actions of spilanthol in dermatitis and pancreatitis. Full article

Spilanthol (SP) is a bioactive compound found in Spilanthes acmella, giving the flowers and leaves a spicy taste. Studies found that phyto-ingredients stored in spice plants act against obesity-related diseases. SP has antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic properties, but the effects on obesity are not yet known. We investigated the effects of SP in differentiated adipocytes (3T3-L1 cells) and mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD). SP significantly inhibited intracellular lipid accumulation and significantly reduced the expression of lipogenesis-related proteins, including acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) and fatty-acid synthase (FAS). In contrast, SP increased the expression of carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT)1 and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in adipocytes. However, SP suppressed the levels of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), phospho-p38 (pp38), and phospho-JNK (c-Jun N-terminal kinase) (pJNK) in LPS (lipopolysaccharide)-stimulated murine pre-adipocytes. SP administered to HFD-induced obese mice via intraperitoneal injections twice a week for 10 weeks decreased body weight gain, visceral adipose tissue weight, and adipocyte size. SP inhibited lipogenic proteins FAS and ACC, and suppressed adipogenic transcription factors, enhancing lipolysis and AMPK protein expression in the liver. SP has anti-obesity effects, upregulating AMPK to attenuate lipogenic and adipogenic transcription factors. Full article

From the aerial parts of Acmella ciliata (H.B.K.) Cassini (basionym Spilanthes ciliata Kunth; Asteraceae), three alkamides were isolated and identified by mass- and NMR spectroscopic methods as (2E,6E,8E)-N-isobutyl-2,6,8-decatrienamide (spilanthol, (1)), N-(2-phenethyl)-2E-en-6,8-nonadiynamide (2) and (2E,7Z)-6,9-endoperoxy-N-isobutyl-2,7-decadienamide (3). While 1 and 2 are known alkamides, compound 3 has not been described until now. It was found that the unusual cyclic peroxide 3 exists as a racemate of both enantiomers of each alkamide; the 6,9-cis- as well as the 6,9-trans-configured diastereomers, the former represents the major, the latter the minor constituent of the mixture. In vitro tests for activity against the human pathogenic parasites Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense and Plasmodium falciparum revealed that 1 and 3 possess activity against the NF54 strain of the latter (IC₅₀ values of 4.5 and 5.1 µM, respectively) while 2 was almost inactive. Compound 3 was also tested against multiresistant P. falciparum K1 and was found to be even more active against this parasite strain (IC₅₀ = 2.1 µM) with considerable selectivity (IC₅₀ against L6 rat skeletal myoblasts = 168 µM). Full article

Spilanthes acmella Murr. (Compositae) has been used as a traditional medicine for toothache, rheumatism and fever. Its extracts had been shown to exhibit vasorelaxant and antioxidant activities. Herein, its antimicrobial, antioxidant and cytotoxic activities were evaluated. Agar dilution method assays against 27 strains of microorganisms were performed. Results showed that fractions from the chloroform and methanol extracts inhibited the growth of many tested organisms, e.g. Corynebacterium diphtheriae NCTC 10356 with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 64-256 mg/mL and Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633 with MIC of 128-256 mg/mL. The tested fractions all exhibited antioxidant properties in both DPPH and SOD assays. Potent radical scavenging activity was observed in the DPPH assay. No cytotoxic effects of the extracts against KB and HuCCA-1 cell lines were evident. Bioassay-guided isolation resulted in a diverse group of bioactive compounds such as phenolics [vanillic acid (2), trans-ferulic acid (5) and trans-isoferulic acid (6)], coumarin (scopoletin, 4) and triterpenoids like 3-acetylaleuritolic acid (1), b-sitostenone (3), stigmasterol and stigmasteryl-3-O-b-D-glucopyranosides, in addition to a mixture of stigmasteryl-and b-sitosteryl-3-O-b-D-glucopyranosides. The compounds 1–6 represent bioactive metabolites of S. acmella Murr. that were never previously reported. Our findings demonstrate for the first time the potential benefits of this medicinal plant as a rich source of high therapeutic value compounds for medicines, cosmetics, supplements and as a health food. Full article

This study reports the effect of Spilanthes acmella Murr. extracts on phenylephrine-induced contraction of rat thoracic aorta as well as their antioxidant activity. Results show that the extracts exert maximal vasorelaxations in a dose-dependent manner, but their effects are less than acetylcholine-induced nitric oxide (NO) vasorelaxation. Significant reduction of vasorelaxations is observed in both N^G-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) and indomethacin (INDO). In the presence of L-NAME plus INDO, synergistic effects are observed, leading to loss of vasorelaxation of both acetylcholine and the extracts. Similarly, the vasorelaxations of the extracts are completely abolished upon the removal of endothelial cells. This demonstrates that the extracts exhibit vasorelaxation via partially endothelium-induced NO and prostacyclin in a dose-dependent manner. Significantly, the ethyl acetate extract exerts immediate vasorelaxation (ED₅₀ 76.1 ng/mL) and is the most potent antioxidant (DPPH assay). The chloroform extract shows the highest vasorelaxation and antioxidation (SOD assay). These reveal a potential source of vasodilators and antioxidants. Full article