Lactucin

Solvents: water, good; alcohol, excellent; glycerin, fair to good; vinegar, poor; oil, excellent

Sesquiterpene lactones are digestive bitters, anti-inflammatory and potential allergens in sensitive people.

Lactucin is a bitter, white crystalline solid that belongs to the group of sesquiterpene lactones. It's found in some varieties of lettuce and is an ingredient of lactucarium.

Lactucin has been shown to have:

• Analgesic and sedative properties
• Antimalarial effects
• Inhibiting cancer cell proliferation by downregulating the MAPK and Central Carbon Metabolism Pathway

Lactucin was first discovered in the latex of wild lettuce (Lactuca virosa L.). It's also found in the leaf vegetable chicory (Cichorium endivia).

Lactucin's properties include:

• Crystals from methanol
• Sinters at 218°
• Mp 228-233°
• [a]D +49° (c = 0.90 in methanol), +77.9° (c = 3.44 in pyridine)
• Uv max: 257 nm (e 14,000)
• Soluble in water, ethanol, methanol, ethyl acetate, dioxane anisol

Human Gut Microbiota Metabolism of Dietary Sesquiterpene Lactones: Untargeted Metabolomics Study of Lactucopicrin and Lactucin Conversion In Vitro and In Vivo

Monoclonal antibodies against the bitter sesquiterpene lactones, lactucin and lactucopicrin, from chicory (Cichorium intybus L.)

Analgesic/Sedative

Analgesic and sedative activities of lactucin and some lactucin-like guaianolides in mice

Cancer

Lactucin induces potent anti-cancer effects in HL-60 human leukemia cancer cells by inducing apoptosis and sub-G1 cell cycle arrest

Malaria

Antimalarial activity of Lactucin and Lactucopicrin: sesquiterpene lactones isolated from Cichorium intybus L.

Obesity

A Potential Nutraceutical Candidate Lactucin Inhibits Adipogenesis through Downregulation of JAK2/STAT3 Signaling Pathway-Mediated Mitotic Clonal Expansion