Cancer-chemopreventive effects of natural sweeteners and related
compounds*
Takao Konoshima and Midori Takasaki**
Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, Misasagi, Yamashina-ku,
Kyoto 607-8414, Japan
Abstract: To search for possible cancer-chemopreventive
agents from natural resources, several natural sweeteners were screened
by the in vitro assay indicated by the inhibitory effects of Epstein-Barr
virus early antigen (EBV-EA) induction. Of active compounds that showed
the remarkable inhibitory effects on the EBV-EA induction, stevioside,
from the leaves of Stevia rebaudiana, and mogroside V, from the
fruits of Momordica grosvenori, exhibited significant inhibitory
effects on the two-stage mouse skin carcinogenesis in vivo induced by
7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate
(TPA). The inhibitory effect of stevioside is stronger than that of
glycyrrhizin, which had been known as an antitumor-promoter in chemical
carcinogenesis. Furthermore, stevioside also inhibited mouse skin carcinogenesis
initiated by peroxynitrite. These results suggest that stevioside and
mogroside V might be valuable as chemopreventive agents for chemical
carcinogenesis.
* A special topic issue on the
science of sweeteners.
** Corresponding author.
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