Cytotoxic and molecular evaluation of spilanthol obtained from Acmella oleracea (L.) R. K. Jansen (jambu) in human gastric cancer cells

Abstract

Acmella oleracea (L.) is a plant popularly known as jambu in the Brazilian Amazon. This species has several biological properties, such as anaesthetic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, among others. However, there is limited information on its anticancer activity. In this context, this study aims to evaluate the effects of the hydroethanolic extract of jambu and its active compound (spilanthol) on gastric cancer cells. Hydroethanolic jambu inflorescence extract was obtained, and spilanthol was isolated by HPLC. Biological cytotoxicity assays were determined using MTT tests. In addition, an in silico study using molecular docking evaluated the inhibitory properties of spilanthol against JAK1 and JAK2 proteins. The results showed that the hydroethanolic extract and the isolated compound spilanthol exhibited cytotoxicity against cancer cells. Molecular docking revealed that spilanthol has inhibitory potential for JAK1 and JAK2 proteins. Thus, extract of jambu and spilanthol can be a possible candidate for the treatment of gastric carcinoma.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• Jambu
• spilanthol
• cytotoxicity
• molecular docking
• Amazon

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Amazon Foundation for the Support of Studies and Research (FAPESPA, Brazil), Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES, Brazil) and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq, Brazil).