Anti-tumor effects of the glycolipids fraction from spinach which inhibited DNA polymerase activity.

We succeeded in purifying the fraction of monogalactosyl diacylglycerol (MGDG), digalactosyl diacylglycerol (DGDG), and sulfoquinovosyl diacylglycerol (SQDG) containing the major glycolipids from a green vegetable, spinach (Spinacia oleraceaL.). This glycolipids fraction inhibited the activities of replicative DNA polymerases (pols) such as alpha, delta, and epsilon, and mitochondrial pol gamma with IC50 values of 44.0-46.2 microg/ml, but had no influence on the activity of repair-related pol beta. The fraction also inhibited the proliferation of human cervix carcinoma (HeLa) cells with LD50 values of 57.2 microg/ml. In an in vivo anti-tumor assay on nude mice bearing solid tumors of HeLa cells, the fraction was shown to be a promising suppressor of solid tumors. Histopathological examination revealed that tumor necrosis with hemorrhage was significantly enhanced with the glycolipids fraction in vivo. The spinach glycolipids fraction might be a potent anti-tumor compound, and this fraction may be a healthy food substance with anti-tumor activity.