''Acmella oleracea'' is a species of flowering herb in the family
Asteraceae
The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family, Compositae w ...
. Common names include toothache plant, Szechuan buttons, paracress, buzz buttons, tingflowers and electric daisy. Its native distribution is unclear, but it is likely derived from a
Brazilian ''Acmella'' species.
[''Acmella oleracea''.]
PROTA. A small, erect plant, it grows quickly and bears gold and red
inflorescences. It is frost-sensitive but perennial in warmer climates.
Its
specific epithet ''oleracea'' means "vegetable/herbal" in Latin and is a form of ().
Culinary uses
For culinary purposes, small amounts of shredded fresh leaves are said to add a unique flavour to salads. Cooked leaves lose their strong flavour and may be used as
leafy greens. Both fresh and cooked leaves are used in dishes such as stews in northern Brazil, especially in the state of
Pará
Pará is a state of Brazil, located in northern Brazil and traversed by the lower Amazon River. It borders the Brazilian states of Amapá, Maranhão, Tocantins, Mato Grosso, Amazonas and Roraima. To the northwest are the borders of Guyana a ...
. They are combined with
chilis and
garlic to add flavor and vitamins to other foods.
[Benwick, B. S]
Like a Taste That Tingles? Then This Bud's for You.
''Washington Post''. October 3, 2007.
The flower bud has a grassy taste followed by a strong tingling or numbing sensation and often excessive
salivation
Saliva (commonly referred to as spit) is an extracellular fluid produced and secreted by salivary glands in the mouth. In humans, saliva is around 99% water, plus electrolytes, mucus, white blood cells, epithelial cells (from which DNA can be e ...
, with a cooling sensation in the throat.
[ The buds are known as "buzz buttons", "Sichuan buttons", "sansho buttons", and "electric buttons".][It's Shocking, But You Eat It.]
''All Things Considered''. NPR. February 28, 2009. In India, they are used as flavoring in chewing tobacco
Chewing tobacco is a type of smokeless tobacco product that is placed between the cheek and lower gum to draw out its flavor. Some users chew it, others do not. It consists of coarsely chopped aged tobacco that is flavored and often sweetened; ...
.[
A concentrated extract of the plant, sometimes called jambu oil or jambu extract, is used as a flavoring agent in foods, chewing gum, and chewing tobacco.] The oil is traditionally extracted from all parts of the plant. EFSA and JECFA reviewed a feeding study in rats and both authorities recognized that the no adverse effect level for spilanthol
Spilanthol is a fatty acid amide isolated from ''Acmella oleracea''. It is believed to be responsible for the local anesthetic properties of the plant.
Spilanthol permeates the human skin and the inside lining of the cheeks in the mouth (buccal ...
was 572 mg/kg b.w./day, yielding a safe dose of spilanthol of 1.9 mg/kg b.w./day, or 133.5 mg/70-kg-male/day, 111 mg/58-kg-female/day, or 38 mg/20-kg-child/day.
Jambu extract as a flavoring agent is described as having a citrus, herbal, tropical or musty odor, and its taste can be described as pungent, cooling, tingling, numbing, or effervescent. Spilanthol, the major constituent of jambu extract, is responsible for the perception of a mouth-watering flavor sensation, as well as the ability to promote salivation as a sialogogue, perhaps through its astringent action or its pungent taste.
Cultivation
This plant prefers well-drained, black (high organic content) soil. If starting outdoors, the seeds should not be exposed to cold weather, so start after last frost. Seeds need direct sunlight to germinate, so should not be buried.
Traditional medicine
A decoction or infusion of the leaves and flowers has been used as a folk remedy
Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) comprises medical aspects of traditional knowledge that developed over generations within the folk beliefs of various societies, including indigenous peoples, before the ...
.[
]
Active chemicals
File:Spilanthol skeletal.svg, Spilanthol
Spilanthol is a fatty acid amide isolated from ''Acmella oleracea''. It is believed to be responsible for the local anesthetic properties of the plant.
Spilanthol permeates the human skin and the inside lining of the cheeks in the mouth (buccal ...
: (2''E'',6''Z'',8''E'')-deca-2,6,8-trienoic acid isobutyl amide
File:Undeca-2E,7Z,9E-trienoic acid isobutylamide.gif, (2''E'',7''Z'',9''E'')-Undeca-2,7,9-trienoic acid isobutyl amide, another alkylamide from ''Acmella oleracea''
File:Undeca-2E-en-8,10-diynoic acid isobutylamide.svg, (2''E'')-Undeca-2-en-8,10-diynoic acid isobutyl amide
The most important taste-active molecules present are fatty acid amide
Fatty acid amides (FAAs) are amides formed from a fatty acid and an amine. In nature, many FAAs have ethanolamine as the amine component. Also known as ''N''-acylethanolamines, they contain the functionality RC(O)N(H)CH2CH2OH. A well known exa ...
s such as spilanthol, which is responsible for the trigeminal
In neuroanatomy, the trigeminal nerve ( lit. ''triplet'' nerve), also known as the fifth cranial nerve, cranial nerve V, or simply CN V, is a cranial nerve responsible for sensation in the face and motor functions such as biting and chewin ...
and saliva-inducing effects of the plant. It also contains stigmasteryl-3-''O''-''b''-D-glucopyranoside and a number of triterpenes. The isolation and total synthesis of the active ingredients have been reported.
Biological pest control
Extracts were bioassay
A bioassay is an analytical method to determine the concentration or potency of a substance by its effect on living animals or plants (''in vivo''), or on living cells or tissues(''in vitro''). A bioassay can be either quantal or quantitative, dir ...
ed against yellow fever mosquito
''Aedes aegypti'', the yellow fever mosquito, is a mosquito that can spread dengue fever, chikungunya, Zika fever, Mayaro and yellow fever viruses, and other disease agents. The mosquito can be recognized by black and white markings on its legs ...
(''Aedes aegypti'') and corn earworm moth (''Helicoverpa zea'') larvae. The spilanthol proved effective at killing mosquitoes, with a 24-hour LD100 of 12.5 µg/mL, and 50% mortality at 6.25 µg/mL. The mixture of spilanthol isomers produced a 66% weight reduction of corn earworm larvae at 250 µg/mL after 6 days.
See also
* Sichuan pepper
References
External links
*
{{Taxonbar , from = Q2097498
oleracea
Flora of Brazil
Leaf vegetables
Medicinal plants of South America