ABSTRACT Jambu is a leafy vegetable from the northern region of Brazil and its cultivation in the soil has considerably reduced its production, due to pests and diseases. Based on this, the objective ...of this work was to evaluate the growth, yield and postharvest quality of hydroponic jambu plants in response to the variation of nitrogen (N) concentration in the nutrient solution. The design used was completely randomized with eight replicates and six treatments, consisting of N concentrations in the nutrient solution (11, 13, 15, 17, 19 and 21 mmol L-1). Main stem length (MSL), diameter (D), leaf area (LA), number of inflorescences (NI), shoot fresh mass (SFM), shoot dry mass (SDM), root fresh mass (RFM), root dry mass (RDM), inflorescence fresh mass (IFM), inflorescence dry mass (IDM), N content, total soluble solids (TSS), pH, titratable acidity (TA) and TSS/TA ratio were evaluated. Both growth and yield were explained by positive linear models, and the best results were obtained at the N concentration of 21 mmol L-1. As for the quality variables TSS and TSS/TA, these were also explained by increasing linear models with maximum responses at the N concentration of 21 mmol L-1. As the N concentration increased, there were reductions in TA. Based on the results, the N concentration of 21 mmol L-1 in the nutrient solution enables better response in terms of growth, production and postharvest quality in jambu.
The jambu (Acmella oleracea) production can be influenced by the growing season and light available for metabolic processes. This study aimed to assess the agronomic and physiological performance of ...two jambu varieties, under different shading levels, during the winter and summer of the Brazilian Amazon. Two random block experiments were conducted, in a 2 x 4 factorial scheme, consisting of two jambu varieties (yellow and purple flower) and four shading levels (0, 30, 50 and 70 %), with four replications. Physiological, growth and yield traits were assessed. There was no significant interaction between treatments and growing seasons (Amazon winter and summer) for growth or yield traits, nor between treatments for the physiological characteristics. The cultivation without shading screen can increase the shoot dry weight of both varieties; the yellow flower variety exhibited early-onset flowering regardless of the shading screen used; the “Amazon summer” growing season increased the jambu yield by 33 %, while the 70 % shading reduced the net photosynthetic rate, consequently not favoring the vegetative development of the jambu plants. As such, it is recommended that the yellow and purple flower jambu varieties be grown without shading screen in the Amazon summer.
The study of the efficacy of Acmella oleracea (L.) flowers on breast cancer is still in its early stages. The molecular interaction mechanisms underlying Acmella oleracea's anti-breast cancer ...activity will be elucidated using in-silico analysis. For this study, seventeen bioactive compounds were used: spilanthol, alpha- and beta-amyrin ester, stigmasterol, beta-sitosterol, alpha-1-sitosterol, 3-acetylaleuritic acid, scopoletin, vanillic acid, trans-ferulic, (72,9E)-2-oxo-undeca-7,9-dienyl 3-methylbut-2-enoate, beta-caryophyllene, beta-pinene, myrcene, caryophyllene oxide, and limone Canonical smiles were obtained from PubChem and inserted into the PASS server to determine biological activity. Several compounds were docked with protein targets, such as ESR1, MAP2K2, and PGR. We used Pyrx 0.8 software for anchoring molecular interaction and Discovery Studio software to visualize the complex binding. In terms of Antineoplastic, apoptosis agonist, caspase-3, caspase-8 stimulant, ovulation inhibitor, steroid synthesis inhibitor, and TP53 expression enhancer, all the compounds tested positive for anticancer activity. According to Swiss ADME and protox analysis, Acmella oleracea flowers have the potential to modulate apoptosis and cell growth. More research is required to confirm the role of Acmella oleracea bioactive compounds in developing target cancers. The study reveals that Acmella oleracea has numerous bioactive chemicals advantageous for cancer therapy by inducing apoptosis through interaction with ESR1, MAPK2, and PGR protein.
Introduction: Acmella oleracea has been used as a traditional medicine for the treatment of asthma, sore throat, haemorrhoids and toothache. However, whether A. oleracea has gastrointestinal ...functions, such as regulation of intestinal contractions, has not been fully elucidated. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of A. oleracea flowers extract (AFE) on rat ileum contractions and the possible mechanism(s) of its action. Methods: The extract was prepared using the Soxhlet apparatus with 95% ethanol. Ileum was removed from male Wistar rats and mounted in an organ bath containing Krebs solution. The tissue contractions were recorded by an isotonic transducer under 1 g tension.Results: The cumulative concentrations of the AFE (0.01–1 mg/mL) reduced the ileum contractions induced by KCl (80 mM) (n = 6, P < 0.05). AFE (1 mg/mL) attenuated the contractions induced by cumulative concentrations of CaCl2 (1–20 mM), while the spasmolytic effects of the extract were not reduced after tissue incubation with N (ω)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) (100 μM, 20 minutes).Conclusion: These results suggest that AFE inhibits ileum contractions without involving the nitric oxide pathway, which is possibly mediated via blockade of voltage-dependent calcium channels. A. oleracea may be useful in gastrointestinal disorders such as diarrhoea.
•Spilanthol green extraction approach.•High purity spilanthol was obtained.•All study conditions have been optimized.•Comprehensive spilanthol extraction efficiency study.
Acmella oleracea, a plant ...with high spilanthol content, can be found in Brazilian north region. Despite the commercial interest of spilanthol for local communities and industries, due to its anesthetic properties, there are few works that have made a chemical study of it and almost none with analytical strategies. In this work, the influence of 4 solvents, namely acetonitrile, methanol, dichloromethane and ethanol, chosen from those mainly reported in published papers and their interaction in the extraction of spilanthol from Acmella oleracea flowers has been studied. The influence of each solvent proportions was discussed, and pure ethanol was selected as the one with better extraction efficiency. A model was built using the spilanthol peak area obtained by a HPLC-DAD system. Using the optimized solvent, it was possible to extract spilanthol from up to 10 g of grounded flowers using 25 mL of the solvent, producing an extract highly concentrated. The spilanthol content in this extract was isolated and characterized by liquid chromatography coupled to a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. Therefore, this work presents an extensive analytical study of the spilanthol optimum extraction procedure, purification of the standard, validation of the analytical line and evaluation of the extraction efficiency with a recovery test.
The ANESPSAT, a synthetic spilanthol derivative, and its nanoformulation were evaluated against Rhipicephalus microplus and Amblyomma sculptum ticks. ANESPSAT activity was compared with spilanthol ...and derivatives (ANESPE and others). The compound was synthesized in a gram-scale by a 2-step process, comprising a direct ester amidation and a Horner-Wadsworth- Emmons reaction. The nanoemulsions were produced by coarse homogenization followed by high-energy ultrasonication, in which hydrodynamic diameter, polydispersity index, and zeta potential remained stable. The spilanthol-eugenol hybrid derivatives did not show significant acaricidal activity. ANESPE killed 83% of the R. microplus larvae at 30 mg.mL−1, while ANESPSAT killed 97% at 0.5 mg.mL−1, showing to be the most active compound. Spilanthol and ANESPSAT had similar high mortality rates for tick larvae, with LC50 values of 0.10 and 0.14 mg.mL−1 for R. microplus larvae, and 0.04 and 0.48 mg.mL−1 for A. sculptum larvae, respectively. The efficacy of spilanthol was lower against R. microplus engorged females when compared with ANESPSAT, which was highly effective (>98%) against R. microplus engorged females. The nanoemulsion with ANESPSAT was effective against tick females, preventing egg laying and achieving 100% efficacy at 2.5 mg.mL−1. Spilanthol had only 59% efficacy at 10 mg.mL−1. The results suggest that ANESPSAT, a natural product derivative, could be used in novel formulations for tick management that might be safer and environmentally friendly.
•First report of acaricidal activity of spilanthol derivative against ticks.•The spilanthol-eugenol hybrids have no acaricidal activity on ticks.•The ANESPE had lower acaricidal activity than ANESPSAT on ticks.•ANESPSAT was effective against Amblyomma sculptum and Rhipicephalus microplus.•The nanoemulsion with ANESPSAT was effective against engorged cattle tick females.
ABSTRACT Jambu (Acmella oleracea (L.) R.K.) is a short-cycle leafy vegetable from the Amazon region, which needs an adequate availability of water and nutrients, mainly nitrogen, to obtain a rapid ...mass increase. This research aimed to study the effect of different soil-water stresses and nitrogen doses on jambu cultivation in the state of Pará. The experiments were conducted at the Igarapé-Açu experimental farm of the Federal Rural University of Amazonia (UFRA). The Jamburana variety was used in a 10 × 10 cm spacing, using a randomized block design in a 4 × 4 factorial scheme with three replications. Each plot had a dimension of 0.4 × 0.5 m (0.2 m2), totaling 20 plants in 4 rows, but only the plants of the central rows were useful. Treatments consisted of four soil-water stresses (12, 18, 24, and 30 kPa) as an indication of the irrigation time (critical stress), using drip irrigation, and four nitrogen doses (0, 50, 100, and 150 kg ha−1). The use of soil-water stress of 12 kPa associated with nitrogen fertilization at a dose of 150 kg ha−1 is recommended for better development and production of jambu under the conditions this experiment was conducted.
Acmella oleracea (L.) R.K. Jansen (Compositae), well-known as jambú, is a medicinal herb of pungent taste, native to Brazil but cultivated in different parts of the world due to its aromatic and ...pharmacological properties. In folk medicine, the plant has been used against parasites and to combat insects and mites. No data are available on the insecticidal activity of jambú essential oil.
To test the jambú essential oil obtained from A. oleracea cultivated in central Italy against the filariasis vector, Culex quinquefasciatus, the Egyptian cotton worm, Spodoptera littoralis, and the housefly, Musca domestica.
The chemical composition of the essential oil was achieved by GC-FID and GC-MS analyses. Acute toxicity experiments were conducted on larvae of the filariasis vector C. quinquefasciatus and S. littoralis and adults of M. domestica to determine the LC50(LD50) and LC90(LD90) values of the oil, along with the positive control, α-cypermethrin.
(E)-caryophyllene (20.8%), β-pinene (17.3%), myrcene (17.1%) and caryophyllene oxide (10.0%) were the major volatile constituents. Interestingly, the oil contained little amounts (3.9%) of the insecticidal spilanthol. Jambú essential oil exerted relevant effects on C. quinquefasciatus (LC50 = 42.2 mg L−1, LC90 = 73.6 mg L−1) and S. littoralis 3rd instar larvae (LD50 = 68.1 µg larva-1, LD90 = 132.1 µg larva-1). High acute toxicity was also detected testing the jambú oil against adult females of M. domestica, achieving a LD50 value of 44.3 µg adult-1 and a LD90 value of 87.5 µg adult-1.
Taken together our data support the traditional use of jambú as an insecticidal agent and represent the scientific basis for the industrial exploitation of the essential oil in the fabrication of green insecticides.
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Acmella oleracea (L.) R. K. Jansen, popularly known as jambu in Northern Brazil, is widely used in folk medicine and local cuisine. Its consumption in different ways reinforces the need for safety ...assessments. In this study, the major compounds found in the hydroethanolic extract of A. oleracea flowers (EHFAO) were characterized by ultra-performance liquid mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS). The effects of oral administration of 100/mg/kg of EHFAO extract over 60 days in male spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) and Wistar (WR) rats and the in silico ADME/Tox predictions, lipophilicity, and water solubility were accomplished for the compounds identified. Spilanthol was detected as the foremost major compound at a concentration of 97.7%, followed by 1.53% scopoletin and 0.77% d-limonene. The treatment with EHFAO did not alter the animals´ weight over the studied period. Moderate alterations were observed solely in the hepatic enzymes AST (WR = 97 UI/L and SHR = 150 UI/L ∗p<0.05) and ALT (WR = 55 UI/L and SHR = 95 UI/L ∗p<0.05), while no relevant histopathological alterations were found. The in-silico study confirmed the in vivo findings, as the identified compounds were considered highly bioactive orally, due to their drug similarity profiles, adequate lipid solubility, bioavailability, and pharmacokinetics. Therefore, the chronic treatment with EHFAO was found safe at the concentration of 100/mg/kg, with no interference in the blood pressure levels neither appreciable toxic effects.
•There were differences in yield and spilanthol according to the solvent, plant part, and regional variation.•Hydroethanolic extracts showed the highest levels of spilanthol.•Leaves and stem of ...Acmella oleracea had strong activity against Streptococcus mutans.
This study aimed to determine the extractive yield, the spilanthol content and the bactericide and antibiofilm activities of aqueous and hydroethanolic extracts of two regional variations (Amapá and Pará) of Acmella oleracea (L.) R. K. Jansen against the cariogenic bacteria Streptococcus mutans. Aqueous extracts of leaves and hydroethanolic extracts of leaves and stems were obtained and submitted to UHPLC-ESI-QToF-MS/MS characterization. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of the extracts were determined using the microdilution method, while the crystal violet assay was used to access the activity over S. mutans pre-formed 1-day biofilms. The aqueous extracts of the leaves showed higher extractive yields compared to the hydroethanolic solutions. Nonetheless, the hydroethanolic mixture ensured a higher extraction of spilanthol. For instance, the leaves of Pará variation (EELAO-PA) (99.97%) and the stem of Amapá variation (EESAO-AP) (99.17%) presented the highest spilanthol content. Therefore, these extracts were selected for the antimicrobial assays, presenting equally MIC and MBC of 125 µg/ml against S. mutans. In the antibiofilm assay, EELAO-PA at 500 µg/ml (4xMIC) presented an inhibition of 50.89% after a 1-minute single application, similarly (p>0.05) to that found after chlorhexidine gluconate 0.12% treatment. Accordingly, A. oleracea rich spilanthol extracts showed remarkable antibacterial activity against the cariogenic S. mutans and could become an affordable coadjuvant used in dental products to prevent and control dental caries.
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