Efficacy of spilanthol and Acmella oleracea (L.) R. K. Jansen (Asteraceae) extract against Schistosoma mansoni infection

Ethnopharmacological relevance Acmella oleracea (L.) R. K. Jansen, commonly referred to as “Jambu”, is a valuable medicinal plant native to the Amazon regions. Inflorescences of A. oleracea is utilized as local anesthetic properties and for its insecticidal, antiparasitic, and anthelmintic attributes. Aims of this study This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo antiparasitic properties of A. oleracea extract and spilanthol (SPL) against Schistosoma mansoni . Materials and methods The ethanolic extract of A. oleracea inflorescences (AoE) was prepared, analyzed by HPLC-DAD, and characterized by UHPLC-HRMS/MS. SPL was isolated from AoE by chromatographic fractionation. The antischistosomal properties of AoE and SPL were evaluated in vitro against adult schistosomes and in preclinical assays using murine models of patent S. mansoni infection. Results Through UHPLC-HRMS/MS analysis, 14 alkamides were annotated in AoE. HPLC-DAD analysis of AoE revealed a peak with a substantial relative area of ∼85%, which was isolated and identified as SPL. AoE and SPL caused mortality of adult schistosomes ex vivo , showing EC 50 values of 32.6 μg/mL and 27.8 μM, respectively, without affected Vero cells or Caenorhabditis elegans . In preclinical studies, the oral administration (400 mg/kg) of AoE and SPL resulted in significant reductions in worm burden of 28% and ∼42%, respectively. Additionally, SPL exhibits remarkable effects on oogram, decreasing egg burden and the number of immature eggs by over 80%, while also promoting significant reductions in hepato- and splenomegaly. Conclusions The research underscores the antischistosomal activity of A. oleracea highlighting the potential of SPL as a lead for the development of new schistosomicidal drugs and encouraging further studies to validate the traditional anthelmintic use of A. oleracea inflorescences.