Abstract

In this study, we analyzed the active chemical compounds of in vitro plantlets of Spilanthes acmella. With 19 samples, GC-MS (Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry) analysis revealed that the naturally occurring insecticide, N-isobutyl-2E, 6Z, 8E-decatrienamide (spilanthol) was present in mother plant, flower heads and in vitro plantlets of S. acmellawith similar retention time (43.18 to 43.21 min). N-isobutyl-2E, 4Z, 8Z, 10E- dodecatetraenamide (an isomer of N-isobutyl-2E, 4E, 8E, 10E- dodecatetraenamide, a potent mosquito larvicide) was only detected in the in vitro plantlets of S. acmella.Antioxidant,  butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and fatty acids (n-Hexadecanoic acid and tetradecanoic acid) could be obtained from all the sample extracts of mother plant, flower heads, in vitro plantlets, callus, air-dried cells, freeze-dried cells and fresh cells.

Key words: Chemical analysis, spilanthol, micropropagation, Spilanthes acmella.