Stevia is widely known as a natural, zero-calorie sweetener used in foods and drinks around the world. But new research suggests that this plant may have a much more powerful use beyond replacing sugar.
Scientists have discovered that when stevia leaf extract is fermented in a special way, it may help kill pancreatic cancer cells while leaving healthy cells mostly unharmed.
This discovery comes from a research team at Hiroshima University. Their findings were published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences. The study focuses on pancreatic cancer, which is one of the most dangerous forms of cancer. It often grows quickly, spreads early, and is difficult to treat.
Current treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy are not always effective. Because of this, the survival rate for pancreatic cancer remains very low, with fewer than one in ten patients living for five years after diagnosis.
Scientists have been exploring natural plant compounds as possible new treatments for cancer. Stevia has attracted attention in recent years because some studies have suggested it may have anti-cancer properties. However, it has been difficult to identify exactly which parts of the plant are responsible for these effects and how they work.
In this new study, researchers used a process called fermentation to change the chemical makeup of stevia leaf extract. Fermentation involves using beneficial bacteria to break down and transform substances. The team used a specific type of bacteria called Lactobacillus plantarum SN13T, which is commonly found on plants, including banana leaves.
The scientists compared two types of stevia extract. One was the regular extract, and the other was the fermented version. They tested both on human pancreatic cancer cells, known as PANC-1 cells, as well as on healthy human kidney cells, called HEK-293 cells, in a laboratory setting.
The results were very encouraging. The fermented stevia extract was much more effective at killing pancreatic cancer cells than the regular extract.
At the same time, it caused very little damage to the healthy cells, even when used at higher levels. This suggests that the fermented extract may be able to target cancer cells more specifically, which is an important goal in cancer treatment.
To understand why the fermented extract was more powerful, the researchers looked closely at its chemical composition.
They found that a compound called chlorogenic acid methyl ester, or CAME, played a key role. In the original stevia extract, there was a related compound called chlorogenic acid. During fermentation, the bacteria transformed this substance into CAME.
This change appears to be important because CAME was found to be more effective at killing cancer cells. It was better at triggering a process called cell death, which helps stop cancer cells from growing and spreading. The researchers believe that enzymes produced by the bacteria are responsible for this transformation.
These findings suggest that fermentation can make plant-based substances more powerful and more useful for medical purposes. It also highlights the potential role of probiotics, which are beneficial bacteria, in developing new treatments for diseases like cancer.
The research team plans to continue their work by testing the fermented stevia extract in animals, such as mice. This will help them understand how the treatment works in a living body and what doses might be safe and effective. If these studies are successful, it could lead to further research in humans.
Although this research is still in its early stages, it offers hope for new ways to treat pancreatic cancer. It also shows how natural products, combined with modern scientific methods, can lead to promising new discoveries.
Overall, this study provides an exciting example of how a simple plant like stevia, when processed in the right way, could become part of future cancer treatments. While more research is needed, the results open the door to new possibilities in the fight against one of the most challenging cancers.
If you care about cancer, please read studies that low-carb diet could increase overall cancer risk, and new way to increase the longevity of cancer survivors.
For more health information, please see recent studies about how to fight cancer with these anti-cancer superfoods, and results showing daily vitamin D3 supplementation may reduce cancer death risk.
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