Antitumor Promoters in Leaves of Jute (Corchorus capsularis and Corchorus olitorius).

Abstract

Two antitumor promoters against tumor promoter-induced Epstein-Barr virus activation were isolated from the leaves of jute (Corchorus capsularis L.). The antitumor-promoting activity was examined by an immunoblotting analysis. Their active components were identified as phytol (3,7,11,15-tetramethyl-2-hexadecen-1-ol) and monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (1,2-di-O-␣-linolenoyl-3-O-␤-D-galactopyranosyl-sn-glycerol) by spectroscopic data and chemical and enzymatic reactions. The content of the latter in four cultivars of C. capsularis L. and C. olitorius L. was found to vary with the cultivar. The detectable amount of each active component increased by treatment of the leaves with hot water.Keywords: Corchorus capsularis L., Corchorus olitorius L., jute, phytol, monogalactosyldiacylglycerol, antitumor promoter, cancer chemoprevention Recent epidemiological investigations have been providing increasing evidence that a high consumption of vegetables and fruits could be associated with a reduced risk of cancer, especially that in the gastrointestinal tract (Steinmetz & Potter, 1991a, 1991bBlock et al., 1992;Ziegler, 1991). These epidemiological predictions suggest that vegetables and fruits contain anticancer or antitumor-promoting components. Thus the physiologically functional components in vegetables could be good sources of chemopreventive agents with low-toxicity available in our daily food supply.Jute (white jute, Corchorus capsularis L.; nalta jute or tossa jute, C. olitorius L.; Tiliaceae family), known as a fiber plant, is a time-honored medicinal vegetable in North Africa, the Middle and Near East and Southeast Asia. The young leaves of C. olitorius that have been introduced into Japan as a healthy vegetable, moroheiya, are rich in vitamins, carotenoids, calcium, potassium and dietary fiber (Resources Council, Science and Technology Agency, Japan, 2000).During our investigation of edible plants as sources of functional constituents, we found that jute leaves contain two active components against tumor promoter-induced Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) activation in Raji cells. We report herein the identification of the active components (phytol and monogalactosyldiacylglycerol), variation of their contents among four cultivars of jute and change in their detectable amounts by treatment with hot water. Materials and MethodsGeneral procedure NMR spectra were recorded with a JEOL A400 FT NMR spectrometer at 400 MHz for Plant materials Several cultivars of Corchorus capsularis L. were cultivated in a field on our faculty farm in 1998, and the leaves were used for isolation of the active components.The seeds of C. olitorius L., tentatively called cultivar M, were purchased from Ubagai Seed Co. (Ehime), and the other seeds of C. capsularis L. (cultivars A-38 and C-443) and C. olitorius L.(O-9897) were provided from the Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture, Bangladesh. Four of the cultivars were grown in the same field in 2000. Two months after sowing the seeds, the leaves were harvested, freeze-dried and powdered; these ...

Potassium Dichromate Toxicities: Protective Effect of Methanol Extract of Corchorus olitorius in Albino Rats

“…[25][26][27] In addition, C. olitorius contains antitumor promoters such as phytol and monogalactosyl-diacylglycerol that have been shown to induce apoptosis and inhibit DNA polymerases in cancer cells. 28 Changes in hematological parameters have been reported to be early markers for monitoring tissue injury caused by certain toxicants. 13 The decrease in PCV observed in this study may therefore be an indication of toxicity of K 2 Cr 2 O 7 in hematopoietic cell lineages.…”

Study of arsenic accumulation in rice and evaluation of protective effects of Chorchorus olitorius leaves against arsenic contaminated rice induced toxicities in Wistar albino rats

“…In Bangladesh, jute leaves are consumed as popular seasonal vegetable by the local people of As contaminated area who claimed that jute leaves are capable to combat against As induced toxicities. The leaves of C. olitorius have been reported to possess antitumor promoters namely phytol and monogalactosyl-diacylglycerol [10]; antioxidants namely flavonoids, carotenoids and vitamin C [11–13]. Keeping the above facts in view, an experiment was designed to study the As accumulation in different parts of rice irrigated with As contaminated water and to evaluate the protective effects of jute leaves against As contaminated rice induced toxicities.…”

Seasonal Composition of Lipids, Fatty Acids Pigments in the Brown Alga <i>Sargassum pallidum</i>: The Potential for Health

“…Galactolipids as shown were responsible for the anti-tumour promoting activity of jute, a well-known medicinal vegetable in North Africa and Asia [63]. Intensive study of algae showed that their GL also exhibit different biological activity, for example, anti-tumour [64] [65], anti-inflammatory [66] [67], antiviral [26], and antibacterial [25] [68] activities that continues to attract attention to these substances.…”