Abstract: Provided is a novel compound that is contained in a young watermelon fruit and has an antioxidative effect. The novel compound that is contained in a young watermelon fruit and is represented by the formula (1) or formula (2) has an antioxidative effect and further has a skin anti-aging effect. Since these compounds are extracts from plants that are naturally edible, they are very safe for human bodies. Therefore, an antioxidative pharmaceutical composition, an antioxidative processed food composition, and an anti-skin aging composition, which contain these compounds as active ingredients, have high utility value as highly safe compositions.

Abstract: Phytol contained in watermelon sprouts is known to have a cancer cell growth inhibiting effect. However, there is a problem that an amount of phytol to be taken for exhibiting cancer cell growth inhabition is large. A cancer cell growth inhibiting composition comprising at least one of compounds having a structure represented by Formula (1), Formula (2), Formula (6), Formula (7) or Formula (8), or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof as main components has a higher cancer cell growth inhibiting effect than phytol.

Abstract: A so-called molecular-targeted drug acting on a signal transduction pathway in a cell has been developed. However, a side effect of the molecular-targeted drug is not negligible for a patient. Thus, there has been a demand for a substance that exhibits a significant growth inhibitory effect on a cancer cell with fewer side effects as a health food and a pharmaceutical composition. It has been found that a hexane extract fraction of a watermelon sprout has an effect of specifically inhibiting the cell growth of the cancer cell and such an effect is primarily caused by phytol and lutein. A processed food and pharmaceutical composition having these substances as main components can exert an anticancer action without causing side effects.

Abstract: A so-called molecular-targeted drug acting on a signal transduction pathway in a cell has been developed. However, a side effect of the molecular-targeted drug is not negligible for a patient. Thus, there has been a demand for a substance that exhibits a significant growth inhibitory effect on a cancer cell with fewer side effects as a health food and a pharmaceutical composition. It has been found that a hexane extract fraction of a watermelon sprout has an effect of specifically inhibiting the cell growth of the cancer cell and such an effect is primarily caused by phytol and lutein. A processed food and pharmaceutical composition having these substances as main components can exert an anticancer action without causing side effects.