May 17, 2024

A Life-Saving Breakthrough: Scientists Uncover Japanese Fruit Juice That May Help Prevent Lung Cancer

A. arguta is one of the richest sources of polyphenols and vitamin C. Previously, the researchers had demonstrated the repressive result of Sarunashi juice (sar-j) on mutagenesis, mouse, and inflammation skin tumorigenesis. They had actually recognized the elements of A. arguta accountable for the anti-mutagenic effects as water-soluble and heat-sensitive phenolic substances. Subsequently, the scientists proposed the polyphenolic compound isoQ as a making up component with anticarcinogenic capacity.
Actinidia arguta, likewise called the durable kiwi, is a seasonal vine that originates from Japan, Korea, Northern China, and the Russian Far East. It produces a little, smooth-skinned kiwifruit, unlike a lot of other types within the genus, which have a hair-like fiber on the exterior.
Dr. Arimoto-Kobayashi describes, “In this study, we sought to investigate the chemo-preventive effects of A. arguta juice and its constituting element isoQ on 4-( methylnitrosamino) -1-( 3-pyridyl) -1- butanone (NNK)- caused lung tumorigenesis in A/J mice, and recognize the possible mechanisms underlying the anti-tumorigenic impacts of A. arguta.”
To this end, the team induced tumor growth in mice using NNK, a known cancer-causing compound present in tobacco products. Utilizing a series of controls and experiments, the team studied the impacts of sar-j and isoQ on lung tumorigenesis in mice.
The results were encouraging: The variety of growth nodules per mouse lung in the group that got NNK injections and oral dosages of A. arguta juice was considerably lower than that in the group injected with NNK only. Furthermore, the oral administration of isoQ likewise lowered the variety of nodules in the mouse lungs.
In a research study by scientists from Okayama University, Actinidia arguta (sarunashi) juice lowered tumor blemishes in carcinogen-exposed mice. Credit: Sakae Arimoto‑Kobayashi
Next, the group broke ground by discovering the likely system of action. NNK and 1-methyl-3-nitro-1-nitrosoguanidine or “MNNG” are known mutagens– representatives that trigger DNA anomalies. The team, therefore, created a series of experiments to study the impact of sar-j and isoQ on NNK- and MNNG-mediated mutagenesis using Salmonella typhimurium TA1535– a bacterial pressure typically utilized for detecting DNA mutations. As anticipated, the mutagenicity of NNK and MNNG discovered utilizing S. typhimurium TA1535 decreased in the existence of sar-j. When comparable tests were performed utilizing S. typhimurium YG7108, a stress lacking key enzymes responsible for DNA repair work, sar-j was not able to decrease the mutagenic results of NNK and MNNG. Based upon this important observation, the researchers concluded that sar-j appears to moderate its antimutagenic impact by accelerating DNA repair work.
Using cell-based experiments, the team likewise revealed that sar-j reduced the action of “Akt,” a key protein involved in cancer signaling. It is a known fact that Akt and an associated protein called “PI3k,” get over-activated in numerous human cancers.
Co-author Katsuyuki Kiura, a Professor in the Department of Allergy and Respiratory Medicine, Okayama University Hospital, muses, “Sar-j and isoQ decreased NNK-induced lung tumorigenesis. Sar-j targets both the initiation and development or progression actions during carcinogenesis, particularly via anti-mutagenesis, stimulation of alkyl DNA adduct repair, and suppression of Akt-mediated development signaling. IsoQ might contribute in part to the biological impacts of sar-j through suppression of Akt phosphorylation, but it might not be the primary active component.”
Their findings were released on December 9, 2022, in Genes and Environment.
In summary, the study reveals that lung tumorigenesis in mice was suppressed following the oral consumption of sar-j. Clinical trials are called for, the making up elements of sar-j, consisting of isoQ, seem to be attractive prospects for chemoprevention.
Recommendation: “Chemopreventive effects and anti-tumorigenic systems of Actinidia arguta, referred to as sarunashi in Japan toward 4-( methylnitrosamino) -1-( 3-pyridyl) -1- butanone (NNK)- caused lung tumorigenesis in a/J mouse” by Jun Takata, Naoko Miyake, Yusuke Saiki, Misako Tada, Kensuke Sasaki, Toshio Kubo, Katsuyuki Kiura and Sakae Arimoto-Kobayashi, 9 December 2022, Genes and Environment.DOI: 10.1186/ s41021-022-00255-0.
About Dr. Sakae Arimoto– Kobayashi from Okayama University, Japan.
Dr. Sakae Arimoto-Kobayashi works as an Associate Professor at Okayama Universitys Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Dr. Arimoto-Kobayashi has numerous publications to her credit. Her research group mainly carries out studies on anomalies and DNA damage induced by N-nitrosamino acids and near-ultraviolet irradiation, analysis of oxidative and alkylative DNA damage triggered by the genotoxic representatives, anti-carcinogenesis/anti-mutagenesis, and the chemopreventive effect of active ingredients in drinks and fruits.
About Okayama University, Japan.
As one of the leading universities in Japan, Okayama University intends to create and establish a brand-new paradigm for the sustainable advancement of the world. Okayama University uses a vast array of scholastic fields, which become the basis of the integrated graduate schools. This not only enables us to perform the most advanced and current research study, however likewise supplies an enriching educational experience.

Lung cancer is a leading cause of death in Japan and throughout the globe. Amongst all the cancers, lung cancer has one of the lowest five-year survival rates. Smoking tobacco and using tobacco-based items are known to heavily contribute to the development of lung cancer. A. arguta is one of the richest sources of polyphenols and vitamin C. Previously, the scientists had demonstrated the inhibitory effect of Sarunashi juice (sar-j) on mouse, mutagenesis, and inflammation skin tumorigenesis. Co-author Katsuyuki Kiura, a Professor in the Department of Allergy and Respiratory Medicine, Okayama University Hospital, muses, “Sar-j and isoQ decreased NNK-induced lung tumorigenesis.

Japanese scientists showed that Actinidia arguta (sarunashi) juice inhibits lung cancer in mice.
Using a mouse design, Japanese scientists release the likely system of action of Actinidia arguta (sarunashi) juice on lung cancer advancement.
Amongst all the cancers, lung cancer has one of the least expensive five-year survival rates. Smoking tobacco and utilizing tobacco-based items are understood to heavily contribute to the development of lung cancer.
Using a mouse design, scientists from Okayama University led by Dr. Sakae Arimoto-Kobayashi, Associate Professor in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, have shown that Sarunashi juice and its making up element isoquercetin (isoQ) assistance decrease and avoid lung cancer.