Scientists in Portugal and a British university were able to discover an effective compound to treat COVID-19.
Scientists at the Portuguese António Lobo Antunes Institute of Molecular Medicine and the University of Cambridge in Britain have found the alkaloid compound (piperlongumine PL) in long pepper (Indonesian pepper), which is used as an ingredient in a folk medicine in traditional Asian medicine.
According to the ACS Central Science magazine, the results of its use on laboratory mice showed that this compound has a strong antiviral effect and is effective against the emerging coronavirus, which reduces lung inflammation and delays the development of the disease.
The researchers tested the compound in treating mice infected with the alpha variant, the delta variant, and the “Omicron” variant of the emerging coronavirus, and it was effective in all three cases.
The researchers also compared “piperlongumin” with “plitidepsin”, an antiviral drug that is injected under the skin and is known to actually reduce the viral load in the case of “Covid-19”.
According to the researchers, “Piperlongumin” can be administered through the nose and is considered the best alternative because the nasal mucosa is the main area of infection with the emerging coronavirus. This method is non-toxic and has been found to be more effective than plitidepsin in treating mice.
