They Fermented a Sugar Substitute – And It Started Killing Cancer Cells
A natural sugar substitute, stevia may do more than sweeten foods. Fermented stevia shows promise in killing pancreatic cancer cells while sparing healthy cells.
A team of researchers at Hiroshima University has discovered that stevia, when fermented with special bacteria from banana leaves, can kill pancreatic cancer cells while leaving healthy kidney cells unharmed.
This surprising effect happens because fermentation changes the natural compounds in stevia. The process creates a powerful substance called chlorogenic acid methyl ester (CAME), which showed strong cancer-fighting abilities in lab experiments. Scientists believe this could lead to new probiotic-based treatments for cancer in the future.
Why This Matters
Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers in the world. It spreads quickly, resists most treatments, and has a survival rate of less than 10% after five years. “There is an urgent need for new, effective treatments, especially from natural sources,” said Narandalai Danshiitsoodol, one of the study’s authors.
How Fermentation Boosts Stevia’s Power
Previous studies hinted that stevia might have anti-cancer properties, but researchers struggled to find the exact active compounds. By fermenting stevia with Lactobacillus plantarum SN13T (a type of probiotic bacteria), scientists unlocked new bioactive compounds that make the extract more effective.
Lab tests showed that the fermented stevia extract (FSLE) was much more toxic to pancreatic cancer cells than normal stevia extract. Importantly, it caused little to no harm to healthy kidney cells, even at high doses.
The Key Compound: CAME
The team identified CAME as the main cancer-fighting compound. Fermentation transformed the natural chlorogenic acid in stevia into this stronger molecule. Tests showed that CAME was better at triggering cell death in cancer cells compared to regular chlorogenic acid.
What’s Next?
The researchers plan to test the fermented stevia extract in mice to see how well it works in the body and what dosage might be effective. If successful, this could open doors to using probiotics and plant extracts as natural cancer-fighting agents.
Reference(s)
- Zhang, Rentao., et al. “Stevia Leaf Extract Fermented with Plant-Derived Lactobacillus plantarum SN13T Displays Anticancer Activity to Pancreatic Cancer PANC-1 Cell Line.” International Journal of Molecular Sciences, vol. 26, no. 9, 28 April 2025, doi: 10.3390/ijms26094186. <https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26094186>.
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- Posted by Nida Hayat Khan