Chemical profiling of alkylamides from the "herbal Botox", Acmella oleracea, cultivated in Mizoram and their pharmacological potentials

Abstract

Methodology: Results: Interpretation: Keywords: To perform chemical analysis and study the antibacterial and antiparasitic activities of Acmella oleracea extracts. The methanol, chloroform, and hexane extracts of A. oleracea were prepared and analysed by GC-MS and HPLC. An active ethyl acetate fraction obtained from methanol extract was tested on Gram-negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and a Gram-positive species Bacillus subtilis. An intestinal tapeworm, Raillietina echinobothrida was used for anthelmintic study and the effects were examined by scanning electron microscopy. GC-MS revealed that N-isobutyl-(2E, 4Z, 8Z, 10E)- dodecatetraenamide was the dominant compound in all the three extracts. N-(2-Methylbutyl)dodeca-2,4-diene-8,10- diynamide, N-(2-phenylethyl) non-2(E)-en-6, 8-diynamide and (2E,4E,10E)-N-isobutylhexadeca-2,4,10-trienamide were also detected. (2E,6Z,8E)-N-Isobutyl-2,6,8- decatrienamide was confirmed by HPLC in all extracts. The methanol-ethyl acetate extract was effective against all the four bacteria with maximum activity against Bacillus subtilis. Anthelmintic effects on R. echinobothrida included tegumental shrinkage, surface erosion, obliteration of the spines, and formation of pits on the body segments. A. oleracea is shown to be rich in alkylamides. As the dominant compounds, these alkylamides can be attributed to the antibacterial and anthelmintic properties of the medicinal plant.