Evaluation of the health beneficial properties of the aromatic ether
Myristicin, a volatile oil derived from various plants sources
Presented by:
Annie Mancha & Jerry Fuentes
The University of Texas-Pan American
1201 W. University Drive Edinburg, Texas 78539
Outline
 Background
Information
 Where is myristicin found?
 What are the historical uses of myristicin?
 In what capacity is myristicin currently used?
 Are there drawbacks to myristicin?
 What are the future uses of myristicin?
Background Information: Myristicin
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An aromatic ether extracted from nutmeg,
parsley, and carrots
Molecular formula: C11H12O3
IUPAC: 4-Methoxy-6-prop-2-enylbenzo[1,3]dioxole
Other: 5-Allyl-1-methoxy-2,3(methylenedioxy)benzene
Many historical uses such as a diuretic
Chemopreventative, hepatoprotective, can
be psychotropic, can be toxic
Where can you find Myristicin?
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Parsley
Nutmeg
Dill
Carrots
Broccoli
Coffee
Background Information: Parsley
Botanical Name: Carum petroselinum
Parts used: leaves, roots, and sometimes fruit
Habitat: Linnaeus stated its wild habitat to be Sardinia ;
eastern mediterranean regions
Aromatic oils of parsley make it an ideal breath freshener
High in vitamins A and C; Contains iron, iodine, and
copper
Two different varieties today: root parsley & leaf parsley
Many varieties such as plain-leaved, curled-leaved,
Hamburg
Curled-leaf parsley (Petroselinum crispum) is used
extensively for garnishing and seasoning foods
Constituents of Parsley
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Many constituents; main is essential oil
Contains the volatile oils myristicin, apiole, beta-bisabolene,
flavanoids such as apiin, apigenin, and luteolin, and
furanocuoumarins such as psoralen
10-30% (in leaves and roots) are myristicin, limonene, and
menthatriene
Minor components are mono- and sesquiterpenes
Essential oil from fruits is dominated by myristicin (6080%)
Curly varieties are higher in myristicin
Historical Uses of Parsley
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Romans were first to use parsley as food and also as a
garland
 Greeks used parsley medicinally but did not eat it
 Greek medicinal use of parsley spread to India where it
was used in Ayurvedic medicine
 Carminative
 Diuretic
 Emmenagogue
 expectorant
 Spread to the Americas in the 17th century
Background Information: Nutmeg
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Botanical name: Myristica fragrans
Parts used: dried kernel of the seeds
Origin: Banda Islands, Malayan Archipelago,
Molucca Islands, and cultivated in Sumatra, French
Guiana
Nutmegs have a strong, peculiar and delightful
fragrance and a very strong bitter warm aromatic
taste
oil of nutmeg, often termed 'oil of mace' or 'nutmeg
butter,' is made by bruising the nuts and treating
them with steam
The seed or nutmeg is firm, fleshy, whitish,
covered by red-brown veins and is abounding in oil
Constituents of Nutmeg
Many constituents:
 lignin, stearin, volatile oil (myristicin), starch, and gum
 By submitting nutmegs and water to distillation, a
volatile oil is obtained.
 The powder of nutmegs, beaten to a pulp with water, then
pressed between heated plates, gives from 10 to 30 per cent
of orange colored scented concrete oil erroneously called
“oil of mace”
Historical Uses of Nutmeg
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Oil of Nutmeg is used to conceal the taste of various drugs
 Oil was also used as local stimulant to the
gastro-intestinal tract
 Used for flatulence
 Used to stop nausea and vomiting
Current Uses of Myristicin
Non-Medicinal
 Most commonly used culinary
herb in the United States
 Insecticidal agent
 Used to flavor cigarettes
Medicinal
 Still used as a botanical remedy
 Chemopreventative
 hepatoprotective
Myristicin and Cancer
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Parsley leaf oil exhibited high biological activity that
warrants further study
Myristicin from Parsley leaf oil induces phase II enzymes
allowing for detoxification of carcinogens
Glutathione S-transferase: A phase II enzyme that detoxifies
xenobiotics and catalyzes the reaction of glutathione with
electrophiles including activated carcinogens to form less
toxic conjugates that are readily excreted.
NAD(P)H:Quinone oxidoreductase: Catalyzes the
obligatory two electron reduction of quinones and thus
shields the cells against the electrophilicity of quinones and
oxidative stress.
Myristicin and the Liver
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Limited information is available to systematically
examine the effects of spices on liver injury
 Screening of various compounds found potent activity
of nutmeg
 A single oral administration of myristicin at a dose of
50, 100, or 200 mg/kg dose prohibited elevations of
serum ALT and AST activities in mice with liver injury
induced in the lab
 This study shows that nutmeg, particularly myristicin
isolated from nutmeg, has a potent hepatoprotective
activity
Myristicin in Cigarettes
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Bidi cigarettes: small hand-rolled cigarettes
produced primarily in India
Originated in India around 1905 as small
unflavored cigarettes
Made popular in America because of flavors
Clove cigarettes: “kreteks” another highly
flavored tobacco product that is popular in
America
Flavor-related compounds were found in
various brands at very high levels
Myristicin and elemicin showed consistent
levels in many of the tobacco-containing
bidis tested
Myristicin was also consistently present in
mainstream smoke from bidis
Drawbacks of Myristicin
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Nutmeg seeds have been used as hallucinogenic narcotic, and many reports
have been issued on nutmeg poisoning.
Acute or chronic nutmeg or myristicin abuse has adverse effects on neuronal
cells.
The accumulation of myristicin from decreased oxidation may cause
psychopharmacological effects such as hallucination.
Myristicin has been shown to have anti-cholinergic and psychotropic effects.
3-methoxy-4,5-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MMDA), one of the metabolites
of myristicin, has a pronounced hallucinogenic effect resembling the
inebriation induced by mescaline.
Future Studies
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Myristicin against benzo[a]pyrene-induced cancer
Determine the hepatoprotective properties of myristicin
Determine whether myristicin induces phase II enzymes in a
substrate-specific manner
Investigate which phase II enzymes myristicin can induce
Harfmul effects of inhalation of myristicin from cigarettes
Conclusion & Questions