Spilanthol is a fatty acid amide isolated from Acmella oleracea. It is believed to be responsible for the local anesthetic properties of the plant.
Spilanthol permeates the human skin and the inside lining of the cheeks in the mouth (buccal mucosa), resulting in local as well as systemic pharmacological concentrations. In the skin and in the pancreas, spilanthol has also been shown to exert anti-inflammatory effects.