A new research found that fermented stevia is promising in the fight against pancreas cancer cells, which is one of the deadliest.
In an unexpected turnaround in the fight against cancer, common kitchen bacteria, and a plant better known for sweetening teas can one day help treat one of humanity’s deadliest diseases, suggests a new investigation.
A group of scientists in Japan found that A fermented Stéviaa plant habitually used as a calorie without calorie can have intriguing anticancer properties. Although these findings are initial and need much more investigation, suggest a possible future role of Stévia in the fight against pancreatic cancer.
The pancreas cancer continues to be one of the most difficult cancers to treat. Symptoms usually only appear after the spread of the disease, and conventional therapies such as chemotherapy rarely result in cure. The perspective is black: less than 10% of patients survive five years after the diagnosis.
This urgent need for more effective and less toxic treatments has led investigators to explore plant -based compounds. Many chemotherapeutic medicines already used currently have botanical origin -Among which the Paclitaxel, derived from the pacific teixed shell, and the Vincristina, from Pervinca-de-Madagascar-offering a proven path to the discovery of new cancel-fighting agents.
Stévia, a leafy plant from South America, is widely known for its natural sweetness. It is a familiar presence on the supermarket shelves, but Few consider it a medicinal plant.
The sheets of stevia are rich in bioactive compounds, some of which have shown evidence of anticancer and antioxidant activity in previous research. The challenge has been to explore this potential, as non -fermented stem extracts are only moderately effective in the laboratory, often requiring high doses to affect cancer cells.
That’s where fermentation comes in. Known for creating yogurt, kimchi and natural fermentation bread, fermentation is more than a culinary technique. It is a form of microbial alchemy which can turn plant compounds into new bioactive molecules.
Researchers at the University of Hiroshima raised a simple but innovative question: What if Stévia were fermented with the right bacteria? They experimented with a strain called Lactobacillus Plantarum SN13T, relative of a bacteria commonly found in fermented foods. The fermentation produced a compound called Methyl ister of chlorogenic acid (Came), which demonstrated much more powerful anticancer effects than raw stem extract.
In laboratory tests, the fermented stem extract caused the death in a large number of cancer cells of the pancreas, but left the healthy kidney cells practically unharmed. Subsequent analyzes revealed that the camera was responsible for this effect. He acted blocking cancer cells at a specific phase of their life cycle, preventing them from multiplying and triggering apoptosis, a natural process in which cells self-destruct when damaged or no longer needed.
Cam looks like Change genetic programming of cancer cells. Active genes that promote cell death, while suppressing those that help cancer cells grow and survive. This double effect delays cancer progression and stimulates evil cells to self-destruct.
The power of fermentation
Stévia’s fermented extract also proved to be a stronger antioxidant than its unintected equivalent. Oxidative stress – an imbalance of potentially harmful molecules, known as free radicals in the body – is associated with cancer and other diseases. By neutralizing these free radicals more effectively, the fermented extract can offer extra protection for healthy cells.
This is not the first time fermentation has shown to reveal hidden benefits. It has been found that fermented soybeans and ginseng offer improved health properties compared to their gross forms.
But the discoveries about Stévia stand out for the selectivity of the compound. Killing cancer cells and at the same time preserving healthy ones is the Holy Grail for cancer investigators.
It is important to note that these results come from laboratory -cultivated cells, not animal or human studies. Many substances that seem promising in Petri plates fail in clinical trials due to the complexity of the human body. Still, the discovery is exciting and justifies more investigation.
This investigation highlights the potential of common foods and their natural microbes as unexplored sources of new medications. Also reflects the growing interest in “microbial biotransformation” – Using beneficial bacteria to create powerful compounds from plants.
In the case of Stévia, a simple search for a natural sweetener has evolved into something potentially much deeper: a trampoline for a natural, directed and economic cancer therapy.
