A team of Hiroshima University researchers have found that fermented stevia leaf extract (FSLE) contains a compound that can kill pancreatic cancer cells. “Globally, the incidence and mortality rates of pancreatic cancer continue to rise, with a five-year survival rate of less than 10%. The specific bioactive compounds that combat can cancer cells were difficult to isolate to be used for treatment. The researchers fermented stevia leaf extract using Lactobacillus plantarum (strain SN13T). Chemical analysis revealed that chlorogenic acid in the stevia leaf extract was converted into chlorogenic acid methyl ester (CAME) through fermentation.