Anticarcinogenic activity of natural sweeteners, cucurbitane glycosides, from Momordica grosvenori

Received 20 February 2002; received in revised form 2 April 2003; accepted 7 April 2003.

Abstract

To search for cancer chemopreventive agents from natural resources, many phytochemicals and food additives have been screened. Consequently, two natural sweeteners, mogroside V and 11-oxo-mogroside V isolated from the fruits of Momordica grosvenori, exhibited strong inhibitory effect on the primary screening test indicated by the induction of Epstein-Barr virus early antigen (EBV-EA) by a tumor promoter, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). These sweet glycosides, having cucurbitane triterpenoid aglycon, exhibited the significant inhibitory effects on the two-stage carcinogenesis test of mouse skin tumors induced by peroxynitrite (ONOO−) as an initiator and TPA as a promoter. Further, 11-oxo-mogroside V also exhibited the remarkable inhibitory effect on two-stage carcinogenesis test of mouse skin tumor induced by 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) as an initiator and TPA as a promoter.

Keywords: Cancer chemoprevention, Mogroside V, 11-oxo-mogroside V, Momordica grosvenori, Peroxynitrite, Anti-tumor-initiator

a Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, Misasagi, Yamashina-ku, Kyoto 607-8414, Japan

b Biochemical Laboratory, Saraya Co., LTD, Higashisumiyoshi-ku, Osaka 546-0013, Japan

c Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-0841, Japan

d Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hiroshima University School of Medicine, Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan

Corresponding author. Tel.: +81-75-595-4645; fax: +81-75-595-4754

PII: S0304-3835(03)00285-4

doi:10.1016/S0304-3835(03)00285-4

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