Seaweed Extract Stops COVID in Early Testing

Dec. 6, 2021 — A kind of marine algae generally known as ulva, or “sea lettuce,” that’s a weight loss plan staple in locations like Japan, New Zealand, and Hawaii could have one other profit for folks. Lab experiments counsel that ulvan, an extract from this kind of algae, could assist struggle COVID-19.

Other types of edible seaweed have additionally proven promise as antivirals in opposition to COVID — at the very least in very early research finished in check tubes and animals. But ulvan has been examined as an antiviral therapy in opposition to sure agricultural and human viruses, too. This triggered researchers to wonder if ulvan may assist stop COVID infections.

To discover out, scientists grew ulva algae in a lab, extracted ulvan, after which uncovered cells in check tubes to each the coronavirus and to ulvan. When cells have been uncovered to ulvan, they didn’t get contaminated with the coronavirus, in response to experiment outcomes reported inPeerJ.

In Test Tubes

That mentioned, it’s potential that the method used to extract ulvan from seaweed could influence its antiviral properties. Investigators in contrast two extraction strategies and located one in all them resulted in ulvan with greater than 10 occasions the virus-fighting energy. This means that extra analysis is required to refine the most effective technique to develop ulvan with the most effective antiviral properties, the researchers level out.

One restrict of the experiment is that variations within the chemical make-up of the 2 extracts may need influenced the result, making it exhausting to know for certain how a lot of the antiviral exercise may come immediately from ulvan versus these chemical compounds.

And even when the seaweed extract proves efficient in additional lab exams, it might nonetheless have to be examined in animals and people. But ought to it show efficient in human trials, seaweed extract has the potential to assist stop COVID an infection in individuals who can’t simply afford or entry vaccines, significantly in low-income international locations, the examine authors conclude.