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Contrary to popular belief in the population, pharmaceutical and pharmaceutical companies are also interested in plants to develop and produce medicines based on natural compounds. The rush to COVID-19 treatments is no exception. In a new study, researchers confirm that chemical compounds found in certain foods, green tea, grapefruit, and dark chocolate can bind to a particular enzyme in the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and block its function.
The study, led by biologists at North Carolina State University (NC State), offers new hope for a natural cure for a disease that literally caught us off guard. Proteases (enzymes that break peptide bonds in proteins) are important for the health and vitality of cells and viruses, says De-Yu Xie, professor of plant and microbial biology at NC State and corresponding author of the study. . If proteases are inhibited, cells cannot perform many important functions, such as replication.
” One of the goals of our laboratory is to find nutraceuticals in food or medicinal plants that inhibit the way a virus attaches to human cells or the spread of a virus into human cells. Xie says. The study was published in the journal Frontiers in plant science.
Towards an effective treatment based on plant extracts?
In this study, researchers from NC State performed computer simulations and laboratory studies showing how the SARS-CoV-2 virus ‘master protease’ (Mpro) reacts when compared to a range of chemical compounds. several plants already known for their powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. ” SARS-CoV-2 Mpro is required to replicate and assemble Xie explains. ” If we can inhibit or deactivate this protease, the virus dies “.
Computer simulations showed that the chemical compounds studied from green tea, two muscat grape varieties, cocoa powder and dark chocolate were able to bind to different portions of Mpro. The MPRO then looks like a “pocket” that has been “filled” with chemicals, Xie explains. “ When this pocket is full, the protease loses its key function “.
Experiences in vitro conducted by Yue Zhu, an NC State doctoral student in Xie’s lab and lead author of the study, produced similar results. The chemical compounds of green tea and muscat grapes have been very successful in inhibiting the function of Mpro. The chemicals in cocoa powder and dark chocolate reduced Mpro activity by about half.
” Green tea has five chemicals tested that bind to different sites in the MPro’s pocket, essentially submerging it to inhibit its function. Xie says. ” The peel and seeds of Muscat grapes contain these inhibitory chemicals. Plants use these compounds to protect themselves, so it’s no surprise that plant leaves and skins contain these beneficial compounds. “.
As there are no effective drugs yet to treat COVID-19, these results clearly show that by studying the appropriate methods and concentrations, green tea, grape and cocoa extracts could likely be used to fight disease.
Source: Frontiers in Plant Science
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