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Green tea, chokeberry juice, and pomegranate juice killed influenza and SARS-CoV-2 viruses when incubated with the viruses in vitro. Therefore, oral rinsing with these could be effective in preventing COVID-19.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes the global COVID-19 pandemic, affects the respiratory tract. It has high transmissibility even before symptoms are observed, making the spread extremely fast.
The virus initially infects the upper respiratory tract, entering the body primarily through the nose and throat, causing respiratory symptoms such as a sore throat and cough. Some recent studies have reported that gargling with commercial mouthwashes can reduce infection and the spread of the virus.
Many natural products have also been claimed to have antiviral activity. For example, pomegranate and black chokeberry extracts have been reported to have in vitro Activity against the flu virus and gargling with green tea reduced flu infections. Therefore, it would be useful to investigate the broad-spectrum antiviral activity of natural products that could slow the spread of respiratory viruses and are inexpensive and easy to adopt.
Virucidal activity of natural products against MVA, IAV, SARS-CoV-2 and AdV5. MVA, IAV (A / H1N1 / Brisbane / 59/2007), SARS-CoV-2 (BetaCoV / France / IDF0372 / 2020) or AdV5 (adenoid 75) were incubated with the plant derived products for the contact times indicated above. of the series titration and inoculation of target cells. Viral titers were determined by monitoring the cytopathic effect and calculated as tissue culture infectious dose 50 (TCID50) according to Spearman-Kaerber. The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) is defined by the limit of titration (dotted line) or the cytotoxicity of the compound (#). The error bars indicate the standard deviation and in italics above the corresponding bars the decrease of the titles compared to the control.
Effective natural products to inhibit SARS-CoV-2
Researchers from the Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Technische Universitaet Dresden and CogniVerde GmbH report on the effect of green tea and the juices of black chokeberry, pomegranate and elderberry in preventing viral infections in cells. For your study, published on the prepress server bioRxiv*, the authors used Vero E6 cells to test for vaccinia virus, influenza A virus, adenovirus type 5, and SARS-CoV-2.
The team mixed the herbal substances with the viruses, incubated them at room temperature, and determined infectivity using a 50 tissue culture infectious dose (TCIDfifty) endpoint assessment.
After a 5-minute incubation with the herbal substances, they found that chokeberry juice decreased infectivity nearly 3,000 times compared to a control with just one buffer. Elderberry juice, pomegranate juice, and green tea reduced infectivity by about tenfold. An increase in incubation time to 20 min increased activity only marginally, indicating that antiviral activity is rapid. This suggests that herbal extracts are generally active against enveloped viruses.
When the researchers tested the swine flu virus (IAV) and SARS-CoV-2, they found that the four herbal substances inactivated more than 99% of IAV after 5 minutes.
Chokeberry juice inactivated approximately 97% of SARS-CoV-2 after 5 minutes, while green tea and pomegranate juice inactivated approximately 80% of the virus. Elderberry juice had no effect on SARS-CoV-2. Naked AdV 5, used as a control, was resistant to all except chokeberry juice.
IAV was the most susceptible to food products, which showed virucidal activity similar to that of typical disinfectants, indicating the low resistance of this family of viruses, which is also representative of other influenza strains.
SARS-CoV-2 was more resistant, although chokeberry juice was quite effective, and pomegranate juice and green tea also reduced the amount of viruses.
Mouthwash with tea and juices.
The activity of herbal products may be due to their acidic pH, which can directly inactivate viruses, or to the presence of polyphenols such as catechins, tannins and flavonoids, which can affect viral proteins.
For example, the polyphenols in pomegranates have been shown to inhibit the flu virus by affecting surface glycoproteins and damaging structural proteins. Catechins, found in green tea, can affect both virus particles and their attachment to host cells. Computer simulations have suggested that theaflavins could prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection by binding to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), the receptor that binds to SARS-CoV-2.
For respiratory viruses, since infection and transmission occur through the nose and throat, early reduction of viral load can be an effective strategy to reduce and prevent spread.
For example, herbal products, such as those discussed, are commonly available and used as food. They can be used as “mouthwashes”. Unlike antiseptic mouthwashes that have membrane damaging agents, these juices and teas can be used more frequently without any adverse effects and can simply be swallowed.
Studies have shown that gargling with tea, tea extracts, or plant juices can reduce flu infections and viral symptoms. Similarly, chokeberry or garnet juices could be used against SARS-CoV-2, in addition to teas.
Continuous gargling and rinsing the mouth with juices and teas followed by swallowing could be an effective preventive strategy for SARS-CoV-2, the authors write, especially for people at high risk of infection, healthcare workers, and the elderly. . Ingesting the “mouthwash” is also practical in situations like airplanes, trains, and schools, as well as being generally healthy.
Although the amounts of the different antiviral compounds in natural products can vary with different batches of products, natural products with their mix of compounds can be a powerful method of curbing viral infections and there is a need for more clinical research.
*Important news
bioRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be considered conclusive, guide clinical practice / health-related behavior, or be treated as established information.
