by Kyla Halsor and Nicholas Pandelios
Wilkes University
Wilkes-Barre, PA
July 2013
Impatiens sp., commonly
known as jewelweed or touch-me-not, is a member of the
Balsaminaceae or balsam family (Imam et. al., 2012). Jewelweed is
an annual herbaceous plant that grows up to three to five feet
tall. It possesses succulent stems and distinctive seed pods that
explosively disperse seeds when touched (Motz et. al., 2012).
Green oval, toothed leaves are found in opposite arrangement in
lower leaves and in alternate arrangement in upper leaves (Foster
& Duke, 2000). Impatiens capensis and Impatiens
balsamina are two major studied species of the nearly one
thousand species of the Impatiens genus (Motz et. al., 2012). I.
capensis, native to North America, produces orange flowers with
bell-shaped corollas, whereas I. balsamina, native to many
parts of Asia, produces pink and purple axillary flowers found on
short pedicels (Motz et. al., 2012). Jewelweed is found in
shaded riverbanks, ditches, and woodland borders where wet, shady
soil is prevalent (Motz et. al., 2012).
Native Americans, including the Southern Cherokee, Potawatomi,
Chippewa, Meskwaki, and Omaha tribes, utilized the fresh juice and
extracts of I. capensis topically for both prevention and
treatment of allergic contact dermatitis from poison ivy or oak
(Long et. al., 1997). Native Americans also commonly used this
plant to treat nettle stings, insect bites, and hives (Motz et.
al., 2012).
Alternatively, I. balsamina has been used in traditional
Asian medicine for centuries in treatment of such ailments as
rheumatism, fractures, swelling, and bruises (Wang et. al., 2009).
In China, a decoction of the dried herb is used to remedy
bacterial and fungal infections while a plaster form is used to
treat local infections (Su et. al., 2012). In Japan, juice
extracted from the white corolla of I. balsamina is used
to treat dermatitis whereas the seeds are used to suppress
childbirth pain (Wang et. al., 2009). In Bangladesh, the aerial
parts of I. balsamina are used to treat rheumatism,
bruises, and beriberi, the flowers treat neuralgia and burns, and
the juices of the petal are applied topically for treatment of
dermatitis (Iman et. al., 2012).
The principal active components in Impatiens sp. are the
dinapthofuran-7, 12-dione derivatives, lawsone and lawsone methyl
ether (Sakunpheuak & Panichayupakaranant, 2010). These
chemical constituents provide predominant anti-microbial,
anti-anaphylaxis, and anti-allergic activities (Sakunpheuak &
Panichayupakaranant, 2010). Lawsone, lawsone methyl ether, and
methylene-3,3’-bilawsone, an anti-pruritic agent, are each
isolated from the leaves and roots of Impatiens sp. (Iman
et. al., 2012). Lawsone, lawsone methyl ether and
methylene-3,3’-bilawsone have also been shown to exhibit
cytotoxicity in cancer cell lines A549, Bel-7402, and Hela (Pei et
al., 2012). Other active compounds possessing anti-dermatitis,
anti-bacterial, anti-pruritic, and anti-histaminic properties
include peptides, quinines, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and
coumarins found in the seeds, roots, and flowers of Impatiens
sp. (Su et. al., 2012). Ib-AMP4 is a peptide isolated from Impatiens
sp. which displays effective antimicrobial properties upon
activation with hydrogen peroxide (Iman et. Al, 2012). Apigenin,
luteolin, and luteolin 7-glucoside are found in the extract of the
flower and exhibit significant allergy preventive effects observed
in in vivo studies (Iwaoka et al., 2010). An in vivo
study showed kaempferol, isolated from the petals of Impatiens
sp., inhibited scratching behavior in mice with atopic dermatitis,
demonstrating anti-pruritic and anti-dermatitis properties of Impatiens
sp.(Oku & Ishiguro, 2001).
Despite being used both traditionally and in modern day for the
treatment of poison ivy and poison oak exposure, Impatiens
sp. has not been found to be convincingly successful when used in
the treatment of urushiol induced contact dermatitis (Long et al.,
1997, Bedi & Shenefelt, 2002, Motz et al., 2012). In a
clinical study, ten adult volunteers were subjected to urushiol on
a site on their forearm. After nine days of treatment with
distilled water or jewelweed, there was no statistically
significant improvement at the sites treated by jewelweed versus
the distilled water control sites (Long et al., 1997). However, in
another clinical trial poison ivy rashes were induced on
volunteers in six locations. These rashes were treated with
jewelweed extracts, jewelweed mash, soap made from jewelweed
extract, water, and Dawn dish soap. Only the jewelweed mash was
found to have a significant effect in reducing dermatitis (Motz et
al., 2012). Thus, there has not been overwhelming evidence that
jewelweed is an effective treatment for urushiol contact
dermatitis.
Jewelweed extract, specifically the pod extract, and its
constituents have been shown to be effective antimicrobial agents
(Fan et al., 2013, Su et al., 2012, Young-Hee et al., 2007,
Yuan-Chuen et al., 2011, Wang et al. 2009). Ib-AMP4 has shown
effectiveness against MRSA and extended-spectrum
β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli and could be
applicable in the treatment of septicemia (Fan et al., 2013).
Ib-AMP4 has also showed promise in its ability to be readily
produced by transgenic Escherichia coli that have
successfully taken up a plasmid containing the gene (Fan et al.,
2013). Kaempferol isolated from the Impatiens balsamina
has been shown to be effective against the bacteria Propionibacterium
acnes and has the potential to treat acne in combination
with other antibiotics (Young-Hee et al., 2007). Lawsone and
spinasterol, found in the extract from Impatiens balsamina,
has been found to be effective against antibiotic-resistant Helicobacter
pylori, with lawsone being similar in activity to
amoxicillin (Wang et al., 2009, Yuan-Chuen et al., 2011). This
anti-bacterial behavior of jewelweed extract could be applicable
in the treatment of stomach ulcers caused by Helicobacter
pylori.
Several components of Impatiens extract have cytotoxic
activity and productive viability, which demonstrate the potential
for the development of anticancer drugs (Wang et al., 2012,
Sakunphueak et al., 2010 & 2013). The active components
lawsone, lawsone methyl ether, and methylene-3,3’-bilawsone have
been identified as the primary anti-tumor components and have
demonstrated significant anti-gastric adenocarcinoma activity
within an in vitro study (Pei et al. 2012, Wang et al.,
2012, Yuan-Chuen et al., 2011, Zhi-Shan et al. 2008). The ability
to increase production of these three active compounds 8-11 fold
in the plant has been successfully demonstrated, suggesting that
it could be commercially viable to produce them (Sakunphueak et
al., 2013). Of all the studies reviewed, no negative side effects
of the use of jewelweed extract and its constituents were
reported, however further clinical studies would likely be
necessary to confirm this.
Impatiens sp., its extract and its constituents, have
diverse characteristics and activities and should be further
studied for various useful properties and applications. These
applications include anti-dermatitis, anti-microbial, and
anti-cancer properties that hold promise for the treatment of
acne, stomach ulcers, septicemia and gastric adenocarcinoma.
Though there is limited evidence supporting a significant ability
to treat urushiol contact dermatitis, jewelweed shows great
potential as a medically viable and beneficial plant for treatment
of other varying ailments.
LITERATURE CITED
Bedi,
M.K. & P.D. Shenefelt. 2002. Herbal therapy in dermatology. Archives of Dermatology 138:
232-242.
Ding,
Z., F. Jiang, N. Chen, G. Lu, & C. Zhu. 2008. Isolation and
identification of an anti-tumor component from leaves of Impatiens balsamina. Molecules 13:220-229.
Fan,
X., H. Schäfer, J. Reichling, & M. Wink. 2013. Bactericidal
properties of the antimicrobial peptide Ib-AMP4 from Impatiens balsamina
produced as a recombinant fusion-protein in Escherichia coli. Biotechnology Journal
8(10):1213-20.
Foster,
S. & J.A. Duke. 2000. Eastern/Central
Medicinal Plants and Herbs. Houghton Mifflin Company. New
York 155 pp.
Iman,
M.Z., N. Nahar, S. Akter, & M.S. Rana. 2012. Antinociceptive
activity of methanol extract of methanol extract of flowers of Impatiens balsamina.Journal of Ethnopharmacology
142: 804-810.
Iwaoka,
E., H. Oku, M. Inuma, & K. Ishaguro. 2010. Allergy-preventive
effects of the flowers of Impatiens
textori.Biological
and Pharmaceutical Bulletin 33: 714-716.
Li.
W., X. Bi, K. Wang, D. Li, T. Satou, & K. Koike. 2009.
Triterpenoid saponins from Impatiens
siculifer. Phytochemistry
70:816-821.
Lim,
Y., I. Kim, J. Seo. 2007. In vitro activity of kaempferol
isolated from the Impatiens
balsamina alone and in combination with erythromycin or
clindamycin against Propionibacterium
acnes. The Journal of
Microbiology 473-477.
Long,
D., N.H. Ballentine, & J.G. Marks, Jr. 1997. Treatment of
poison ivy/oak allergic contact dermatitis with an extract of
jewelweed. American Journal
of Contact Dermatitis 8: 150-153.
Motz,
V.A., C.P. Bowers, L.M. Young, & D.H. Kinder. 2012. The
effectiveness of jewelweed, Impatiens
capensis, the related cultivar I. balsamina and the
component, lawsone in preventing post poison ivy exposure contact
dermatitis. Journal of
Ethnopharmacology 143: 314-318.
Oku,
H. & K. Ishiguro. 2001. Antipruritic and antidermatitic effect
of extract and compounds of Impatiens balsamina L. in atopic dermatitis model
NC mice. Phytotherapy
Research 15(6): 506-510.
Pei,
H., J. Lei, & S.H. Qian. 2012.
A new cytotoxic dinaphthofuran-7,12-dione derivatives from the
seeds of Impatiens
balsamina. Journal of
Chinese Medicinal Materials 35(3): 407-410.
Sakunphueak,
A. & P. Panichayupakaranant. 2010. Increased production of
naphthoquinones in Impatiens
balsamina root cultures by elicitation with methyl
jasmonate. Bioresource
Technology 101: 8777-8783.
Sakunphueak,
A., P. Tansakul, K. Umehara, H. Noguchi, & P.
Panichayupakaranant. 2013. Effect of methionine on production of
napthoquinones in Impatiens
balsamina root cultures and detection of some secondary
metabolites. Pharmaceutical
Biology 51:36-41.
Su,
B., R. Zeng, J. Chen, C. Chen, J. Guo, & C. Huang. 2012.
Antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of various solvent
extracts from Impatiens
balsamina L. stems. Journal
of Food Science 77: 614-619.
Wang,
Y., D. Wu, J. Liao, C. Wu, W. Li, & B. Weng. 2009. In vitro activity of Impatiens balsamina L.
against multiple antibiotic-resistant Helicobacter pylori.The American Journal of
Chinese Medicine 37: 713-722.
Wang,
Y., W. Li, D. Wu, J. Wang, C. Wu, J. Liao, & C. Lin. 2011. In
vitro activity of 2-methoxy-1,4-naphthoquinone and
stigmasta-7,22-diene-3β-ol from Impatiens balsamina L.
against multiple antibiotic-resistant Helicobacter pylori. Evidence Based Complement
Alternative Medicine 704-721.
Wang,
Y. & Y. Lin. 2012. Anti-gastric adenocarcinoma activity of
2-methoxy-1,4-napthoquinone, an anti- Helicobacter pylori
compound from Impatiens
balsamina L. Fitoterapia
83: 1336-1344.
This paper was developed as part of the BIO 368 - Medical Botany
course offered at Wilkes University during the summer of 2013.
Course instructor was Kenneth M. Klemow, Ph.D. (kenneth.klemow@wilkes.edu).
The
information contained herein is based on published sources, and is
made available for academic purposes only. No warrantees, expressed
or implied, are made about the medical usefulness or dangers
associated with the plant species in question.