Methyl jasmonate

Methyl jasmonate is a central constituent shaping the jasmine aroma signature. No published data on acute toxicity or skin reactions.

Skin. In an in vitro assay, methyl jasmonate was non-phototoxic.

Anticancer activity. Methyl jasmonate significantly inhibited the proliferation of two human prostate cancer cell types in vitro. It also suppressed proliferation in breast, melanoma and lymphoblastic leukemia cells. The compound induced cell death in leukemia cells isolated from patient blood and prolonged survival of lymphoma-bearing mice.

A defining feature of jasmonates is their selective killing of cancer cells while sparing normal cells. They act directly on mitochondria of cancer cells, bypassing premitochondrial apoptotic blocks and inducing non-apoptotic cell death.

Methyl jasmonate is widely produced by plants, notably as a stress hormone in response to insect attack. As a volatile, it can also signal such attack to neighboring undamaged plants, prompting them to increase jasmonate production.