Can Eating Sweetness Also Combat Aging? This "Fairy Fruit" Extract May Slow Oxidative Aging!

Can Eating Sweetness Also Combat Aging? This "Fairy Fruit" Extract May Slow Oxidative Aging!

In April of this year, an international journal titled “Artificial Cells, Nanomedicine, and Biotechnology” published a research article on mogroside V(M5). The study found that M5 could significantly reduce oxidative aging caused by the accumulation of D-galactose.

1. Mogroside V can alleviate oxidative aging

The study first used network pharmacology methods, combined with oxidative aging and M5 related targets, to generate a "drug target disease" network, predicting that M5 has a significant impact on oxidative aging. And through database screening and enrichment analysis, target genes for subsequent research were identified. 

After co culturing LO2 cells with 20 mg/mL D-galactose for 72 hours, M5 was added and cultured for 7 days to verify its antioxidant and anti-aging effects. The experimental results showed that D-galactose reduced the activity of LO2 cells, increased the apoptosis rate and oxidative aging degree, and these phenomena were significantly reversed after intervention with M5 at 30 μ g/mL. The in vivo experimental results showed that M5 increased the GSH content, SOD activity, and MDA content in D-galactose-induced mice, and alleviated oxidative damage to the kidney and intestinal tissues of mice. Both in vitro and in vivo experimental results indicate that M5 can alleviate D-galactose-induced cell apoptosis and oxidative aging.

The effect of M5 on D-galactose-induced cell apoptosis and oxidative aging

Subsequently, the researchers validated the results of network pharmacology analysis through qRT PCR and western blotting experiments. Experimental data showed that compared with the control group, the EGFR, JNK, and p38 of LO2 cells treated with D-galactose were significantly upregulated at both the gene and protein levels, while M5 significantly inhibited this phenomenon. M5 delays oxidative aging through the EGFR/JNK/p38 pathway.

2. Efficacy of Mogroside V

According to the Records of Lingnan Herbal Collection, monk fruit is cold in nature and sweet in taste. It belongs to the lung and large intestine meridians. It has the effects of clearing the lung and promoting pharynx, resolving phlegm, relieving cough, moistening the intestines and relieving constipation. It is mainly used to treat cough, asthma, sore throat, constipation and other diseases. It is also called "fairy fruit". Monk fruit has a medicinal history of more than 180 years in China, and it is also the first drug food homologous substance announced by the Ministry of Health of China.

M5 is the main effective ingredient of monk fruit and the main source of its sweetness. Its sweetness is 300 times that of sucrose, but its calories are only 1/50 of sucrose. In addition to being a natural sugar substitute and relieving oxidative stress, M5 also has many pharmacological activities such as cough and phlegm relief, anti-inflammatory, and blood sugar regulation.

1) Cough and phlegm dispelling

The Chinese Pharmacopoeia records that monk fruit can stop cough and expel phlegm, which has been confirmed by modern pharmacological research. The Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine at the Chinese Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine has conducted research on the cough suppressant, expectorant, and antispasmodic effects of M5. The study found that 75 mg/kg M5 had obvious antitussive effect, the inhibition rate reached 53%, and showed a certain dose effect relationship, while 50 g/kg raw monk fruitcould achieve a similar effect. Similarly, when the content of M5 was 150 mg/kg, the excretion of phenol red in experimental mice was significantly increased, while the 50 g/kg raw monk fruit did not show significant expectorant effect. This study shows that M5 is the main effective ingredient of monk fruit, and has more significant cough and expectorant effects.

2) Anti inflammatory.

M5 exhibits significant anti-inflammatory effects both in vitro and in vivo, and inhibiting the expression of pro-inflammatory factors is the main mechanism by which M5 exerts its effects. Studies have shown that 5 mg/kg M5 can significantly reduce the expression levels of COX-2, iNOS, and inflammatory factors (IL-1 β, TNF - α, IL-6) induced by LPS in macrophages, and it is dose-dependent. The effect is better when the concentration is 10 mg/kg. The research conducted by Professor Lin's team in the Journal of Functional Foods has also confirmed this, and added that M5 can exert anti-inflammatory effects by regulating the MAPK-NF - κ B/AP-1 and AMPK-PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathways. There are also studies indicating that M5 exerts anti-inflammatory effects in the lungs through the NF kappa B and JAK-STAT signaling pathways.

3) Regulate blood sugar and lipid levels

Monk fruit has been used as a natural sweetener for centuries, and it has hypoglycemic effect because of its rich dietary fiber and glycosides. M5 can stimulate beta cells to secrete insulin, improve insulin resistance in patients by increasing insulin levels, and lower blood sugar levels. In addition, M5 is metabolized into secondary glycosides containing 1-3 glucose residues in type 2 diabetes rats. These secondary glycosides can improve the lipid level of type 2 diabetes rats (reduce TC, TG, LDL-C, FFA, and increase HDL-C), and play a role in regulating lipid metabolism.

3. Market trend of Mogroside

Mogroside is favored by the market and is mainly used in the food and beverage industry as a natural high power sweetener. Due to its functional characteristics, it is used as an effective ingredient for expectorant and cough suppressant in drugs, as well as a natural moisturizer and anti-aging agent in cosmetics. 

The analysis report of Wise guy reports shows that the market size of mogroside sweetener will be about 840 million dollars in 2023, which is expected to grow from 990 million dollars in 2024 to 3.63 billion dollars in 2032, with a compound annual growth rate of about 17.62%. M5 is the most abundant sweet glycoside in monk fruit, with high sweetness, good stability, almost zero calories, and significant pharmacological activity. In 2024, the market revenue of M5 sweetener will be about $680 million. Due to the increasing prevalence of obesity and rising consumer health awareness, the demand for natural sweeteners in the food and beverage industry is constantly increasing, and the M5 market has broad prospects.