Insulin secretion stimulating effects of mogroside V and fruit extract of luo han kuo (Siraitia grosvenori Swingle) fruit extract..

Luo han kuo fruit (Siraitia grosvenori Swingle), a fruit native to China, has been used as a natural sweetening agent for centuries and has been reported to be beneficial for diabetic population. However, limited research has been conducted to elucidate the relationship between the sweetening action and biological parameters that may be related to potential health benefits of LHK fruit (Luo Han Kuo fruit). The present study examined the effect of LHK fruit and its chemical components on insulin secretion using an in vitro cell model system. Mogroside V is the most abundant and the sweetest chemical component among the mogrosides in LHK fruit. The experimental data demonstrated that the crude LHK extract stimulated the secretion of insulin in pancreatic beta cells; furthermore, pure mogroside V isolated from LHK fruit also exhibited a significant activity in stimulating insulin secretion by the beta cells, which could partially be responsible for the insulin secretion activity of LHK fruit and fruit extract. The current study supports that LHK fruit/extract has the potential to be natural sweetener with a low glycemic index, and that mogroside V, possible other related mogrosides, can provide a positive health impact on stimulating insulin secretion.

A new antibacterial compound from Luo Han Kuo fruit extract (Siraitia grosvenori).

Luo Han Kuo fruit (Siraitia grosvenori Swingle) has been used in China for centuries as a sweetening agent, and also used to treat sore throat and cough. In our recent study, a new bioactive compound, (2R,3S,4S)-2,3-trans-3,4-cis-5,3'-bimethoxy-7-(trans-2-propenal)-3,4-flavandiol (1), named siraitiflavandiol was obtained. The structure has been determined on the basis of spectroscopic studies including 1D and 2D NMR ((1)H, (13)C NMR, (1)H-(1)H COSY, HSQC, HMBC, and NOESY), CD, EI-MS, and HR-EI-MS spectra. The new compound was evaluated in vitro for its inhibitory ability against the growth of oral bacterial species Streptococcus mutans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, and yeast Candida albicans. The minimum inhibitory concentrations were 6, 24, and 6 microg/ml, respectively.