Laboratory tests show compounds isolated from Panamanian tropical forest plants effectively inhibit five different human disease-causing viruses by as much as 99 percent, according to preliminary findings from Brigham Young University in Provo and Murdock Healthcare in Springville.
A collaborative research team headed by James North and Byron Murray of BYU and Bronwyn Hughes and Steve Wood of Murdock has determined the compounds have reduced the infectivity of viruses associated with oral and genital herpes, polio, parainfluenza and upper respiratory tract infections.The team shared its initial findings this month at the 90th annual meeting of the American Society of Microbiology in Anaheim, Calif.
In studies determined in vitro, the infectivities were not only reduced but the tested compounds also demonstrated significant activity at concentrations well below those that were toxic to cell cultures. This indicates the possibility that these compounds could be used therapeutically.
"Panamanian tropical forest plants offer a rich source of potentially useful medicinal compounds," said Murray. "The Panamanian forest, like so many others, is being depleted, and we need to assess the value of many kinds of plants before they disappear. Once we determine the compounds, we can synthesize the properties in laboratories."
"The use of plant products as treatments for diseases has a long tradition among various cultures," said North. "In some areas of the world, ethnobotanists are studying regional folklore and interviewing people who routinely use plants for medicinal purposes. They do this to identify which plants may be worth consideration as potential sources of antimicrobial and anti-cancer drugs."