The butanol fraction of guava (Psidium cattleianum Sabine) leaf extract suppresses MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression and activity through the suppression of the ERK1/2 MAPK signaling pathway.

The leaf extract of guava (Psidium cattleianum Sabine) has traditionally been used for the treatment of diarrhea and diabetes in East Asia and other countries. Recently, the leaf extract has been employed in the therapy of cancer, bacterial infections, and inflammation in experimental models. However, the exact mechanisms of how guava leaf extract inhibits tumor metastasis and invasion are still unknown. In the present study, we investigated in detail the molecular mechanism(s) responsible for the potential antimetastatic and antiinvasive effects of the butanol fraction of guava leaf extract (GBF). Interestingly, we observed for the first time that GBF suppressed both matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-9 and MMP-2 expression and activity in part through the downregulation of the ERK1/2 activation in lung cancer cells. Also, importantly, the major components of the GBF were identified as d-glucuronic acid, quercetin 3-glucuronide, loganin, and xanthyletin by LC-ESI-MS/MS. Collectively, our data indicate that the guava leaf could reduce the metastasis of lung cancer cells and therefore suggest that it could be advantageously used to control the metastatic process.