jacaric acid

Jacaric acid is a conjugated polyunsaturated fatty acid first isolated from seeds of Jacaranda plants. Structurally, it is an 18-carbon ω-6 triene isomer of γ-linolenic acid . Jacaric acid induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in a variety of cancer cell lines (GI50 = 1-5 μM). It increases the production of reactive oxygen species, and cytotoxicity is abolished by the antioxidant α-tocopherol, suggesting that apoptosis results from oxidative stress. Jacaric acid is metabolized in vivo to conjugated linoleic acid , which is also cytotoxic to cancer cells. Jacaric acid inhibits cyclooxygenase-1 in vitro (Ki = 1.7 μM) and, with long term feeding, decreases stearoyl-CoA desaturase expression and activity in mice.

Jacaric acid methyl ester 是贾卡里酸的甲酯形式，属于共轭多不饱和脂肪酸。Jacaric acid 能选择性诱导人类前列腺癌细胞凋亡 (apoptosis)，并以浓度和时间依赖性方式引发 LNCaP 细胞死亡。Jacaric acid methyl ester 可用于抗癌研究。