Sugar Substitute Kills Cancer Cells – New Research
Fermented Stevia Extract Shows Potent Anti-Cancer Activity Against Pancreatic Cancer
Hiroshima, Japan – In a meaningful stride towards combating pancreatic cancer, a notoriously aggressive and treatment-resistant disease, researchers have unveiled a promising new avenue: a fermented extract of stevia leaf. This innovative approach, detailed in a recent study, harnesses the power of microbial biotransformation to unlock potent anti-cancer compounds, offering a beacon of hope in the fight against a cancer with a grim prognosis.
Pancreatic cancer continues to be a formidable challenge, with mortality rates on the rise and a five-year survival rate hovering below 10%. its highly invasive nature, propensity for metastasis, and resistance to conventional treatments like surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy underscore the urgent need for novel therapeutic strategies.
“There is an urgent need to identify new and effective anticancer compounds, notably those derived from medicinal plants,” stated Narandalai Danshiitsoodol, associate professor in the department of Probiotic Science for Preventive Medicine at Hiroshima University’s Graduate school of biomedical and Health Sciences.
While prior research hinted at the anticancer potential of stevia leaf extract, isolating and applying the specific bioactive components responsible for protecting against cancer cells proved challenging.However, the research team, led by Masanori Sugiyama, professor in the same department, discovered that fermenting the extract with bacteria could structurally alter it, yielding bioactive metabolites with enhanced pharmacological efficacy.
“To enhance the pharmacological efficacy of natural plant extracts, microbial biotransformation has emerged as an effective strategy,” explained Sugiyama, whose lab has a vast repository of over 1,300 lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains evaluated for their health benefits. “in this study, we aimed to compare LAB-fermented and non-fermented extracts to identify key compounds that enhance bioactivity, ultimately contributing to the efficacy of herbal medicine in cancer prevention and therapy.”
The researchers specifically fermented stevia leaf extract with the plant-derived Lactobacillus plantarum SN13T strain, creating a fermented stevia leaf extract (FSLE). They then meticulously compared its effects on pancreatic cancer (PANC-1) cells in laboratory settings with those of a non-fermented stevia extract. For comparative analysis, non-cancerous human embryonic kidney cells (HEK-293) were also utilized.
The findings were striking. “Our findings indicate that FSLE demonstrates significantly greater cytotoxicity than the non-fermented extract at equivalent concentrations,suggesting that the fermentation process enhances the bioactivity of the extract,” Sugiyama reported. Crucially, FSLE exhibited a more favorable safety profile, demonstrating lower toxicity toward the HEK-293 cells, with minimal inhibition observed even at the highest tested concentration.
Further in-depth analyses pinpointed chlorogenic acid methyl ester (CAME) as the key active anti-cancer compound. The study revealed a remarkable six-fold decrease in chlorogenic acid concentration after fermentation,a clear indicator of microbial transformation.
“This microbial transformation was likely due to specific enzymes in the bacteria strain used,” Danshiitsoodol elaborated. ”Our data demonstrate that CAME exhibits stronger toxicity to cells and pro-apoptotic effects – which encourage cell death – on PANC-1 cells compared to chlorogenic acid alone.”
The research team is now poised to advance their investigation by studying the effects of FSLE in a mouse model. This next phase will provide crucial insights into the effectiveness of various dosages within a whole-body system.
“The present study has substantially enhanced our understanding of the mechanism of action of the Lactobacillus plantarum SN13T strain in the fermentation of herbal extracts, while also offering a valuable research viewpoint on the potential submission of probiotics as natural anti-tumor agents,” Danshiitsoodol concluded.
This groundbreaking research, with contributions from Rentao Zhang and Masafumi Noda from Hiroshima University’s Department of Probiotic Science for preventive Medicine, and Sayaka Yonezawa and Keishi Kanno from the Department of general internal Medicine at Hiroshima University Hospital, opens a promising new chapter in the quest for effective pancreatic cancer therapies, highlighting the untapped potential of natural compounds enhanced through microbial innovation.