Scientists in South Korea have discovered that local plants contain chemical compounds that are highly effective in preventing mutated coronaviruses from the Corona virus – including Omicron – from entering human cells.
A team of researchers led by Director of the Institute of Life Sciences at the Institute of Basic Sciences (IBS) in South Korea, Dr. C. Justin Lee conducted the study, which was published in the journal “Antivirus Research” (Antivirus Research) and transferred by the site “Your Alert” (Themselves Alert).
According to the study, the effective compounds of the “saponin” category were found in two plants in South Korea, “Codonopsis lanceolata”, which is used as a medicinal herb in South Korea and is widely cultivated there, and it has many uses throughout history in Korean cuisine.
The other plant, Aster koraiensis, also known as the “Korean star,” is a common daisy-like flower found only on the Korean Peninsula.
The researchers found that these compounds are particularly effective in inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 infection by blocking membrane fusion that allows viruses to invade host cells.
Coronaviruses penetrate human cells via endosomes or fusion into plasma membranes, and in either case a process known as “membrane fusion” must occur between the coronavirus envelope and the cell membrane.
In this study, the research team revealed that two saponin compounds, “Astersaponin I” and “Lansemaside A” in the two previously mentioned plants, are able to prevent the fusion of the membrane between the coronavirus and human cells, and thus effectively block all the ways in which The virus can infect host cells.
The research team first created a SARS-CoV-2 infection model using human lung cells that produce ACE2 receptor protein and a pseudovirus expressing a spike protein on the surface of the coronavirus, then the cells were treated with Astersaponin 1. ″ and “Lansmaside A” to test the inhibitory effect of these compounds on virus infection.
Astersaponin 1 and Lansmaside A
Astersaponin 1 and Lansmaside A are two compounds from the class of triterpenoid saponins, both of which have central hydrocarbon structures very similar to those of cholesterol, which is the main component of cell membranes, and in addition, these compounds contain a chain of polysaccharides attached to one side of the hydrocarbon structure.
The central portion of saponins binds easily to the cell membrane thanks to its resemblance to cholesterol. When the molecule penetrates the cell membrane, the long sugar chain protrudes from the membrane. It is believed that this protruding sugar is what prevents the cell membrane from fusing with the coronavirus envelope.
SARS-CoV-2 mutants such as Omicron are more infectious than the original virus due to mutations in the spike protein, which enhance their affinity for the ACE2 cell receptor. In order to increase the ability of the virus to attract the receptors of the host cell, these viruses will not be able to enter the cell if the entire process of membrane fusion, which occurs following viral binding to the receptor, is prevented.
Other effective saponins
On the other hand, members of the “IPS” team previously worked with Dr. Kim Seongtaek of the Korean Pasteur Institute and discovered another natural triterpenoid saponin called “platycotin D” from the balloon flower, and found that this saponin is also effective once morest SARS infection. -CoV-2″, and this research was published in the journal “Experimental & Molecular Medicine” in May 2021.
IPS researchers, in collaboration with Professor Han Sunkyu’s team from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), have discovered a way to synthesize synthetic saponins that potentially have more powerful effects than natural saponins.
The team made dozens of compounds from synthetic saponins that have polysaccharide chains of different lengths and types, and they tested them and found that one of these saponins had an activity twice as high as that of “platicotin D”. This research was published in the Journal of Bioorganic Chemistry.
COVID-19
“Covid-19” is an infectious disease caused by the “SARS-Cove-2” virus, and the disease spread in the world in 2020, which led to the World Health Organization declaring a public health emergency following classifying its outbreak as a pandemic in March 2020.
The disease causes respiratory symptoms ranging in severity from mild to moderate in most of those infected, as most of them recover without the need for treatment intervention or special medical care, but there are some who develop severe symptoms and need medical attention, and they are mostly older patients and those who suffer from diseases Chronic conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, cancer, etc. However, it is possible for anyone to be exposed to severe symptoms due to “Covid-19” infection, which can cause death, regardless of the person’s age and health status at the time of infection.
Current treatment for COVID-19
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), vaccinations have helped reduce the spread of the disease, and mild and moderate symptoms can be controlled with over-the-counter medications such as painkillers and fever reducers.
In some cases, some antiviral drugs that prevent the virus from multiplying and monoclonal antibodies that help the immune system to recognize and respond to the virus more effectively can be used.
