The punicalagin of pomegranate is able to bind to the proteins responsible for the entry of SARS-CoV-2 into our cells, blocking the virus and preventing it from infecting us.
As the dramatic evolution of the pandemic COVID-19, thousands of scientists are working in the search of new drugs which can combat this virus, particularly those capable of inhibiting the virus entry into our cells and its replication.
Plant extracts, rich in bioactive compounds with potential antiviral activities, have been extensively reviewed in recent months, and many studies have suggested some of them as potential candidate drugs for the treatment of SARS-COV-2.
Recently, in the University of Naples in Italy, Annalisa Tito and co-workers have uncovered the role of a pomegranate peel extract in attenuating the interaction between the virus and our cells.
The study carried out with isolated cells showed that one of the most effective compound in the extract was punicalagin, which is able to bind to the virus proteins involved in its entry into the cell, blocking them and preventing the virus from penetrating and infecting our cells.
RESEARCH TITLE:A pomegranate peel extract as inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 Spike binding to human ACE2 (in vitro): a promising source of novel antiviral drugs. https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.12.01.406116
COUNTRIES: Italia
CONDUCTED BY: Instituto de Bioestructuras y Bioimagen, Consejo Nacional de Investigación, Napoles, Italia. Departamento de Ciencias Agrícolas, Universidad de Nápoles Federico II. Departamento de Biología, Universidad de Nápoles Federico II.
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YEAR: 2021