Recurring viral outbreaks have a significant negative impact on society. This creates a need to develop novel strategies to complement the existing antiviral approaches. In cell sample experiments, scientists from the University of Jyväskylä, the Natural Resources Institute Finland and the University of Turku investigated the antiviral potential of willow (Salix spp.) bark hot water extracts against coronaviruses and enteroviruses.
The emergence of viral outbreaks leading to epidemics and pandemics causes a huge strain on the global economy and public health.
Antiviral agents, such as vaccines, drugs, and virucides, help in reducing viral transmission.
Virucides are used to reduce the viral load on the surface and in the environment. They are used as disinfectants for surface sterilization of biological and medicinal products.
Additionally, they have been used to inactivate viruses in foodstuffs, detergents, and cosmetics.
However, the majority of the virucides are chemical disinfectants, which are hazardous in nature and cause environmental contamination. In addition, they cause side effects on human health, such as skin irritation.
Moreover, non-enveloped viruses like enteroviruses are largely resistant to chemical disinfectants.
Even though vaccines are an effective weapon against virus infection, it is not feasible to develop a vaccine against all the enteroviruses. In addition, the process of vaccine development and approval also takes time.
Currently, there are no clinically approved drugs for enteroviruses.
Thus, there is a great need to find broadly acting antiviral agents that would lower the infectivity of viruses around us and that could complement the vaccines and drugs in the combat against viruses.
“We need broadly acting and efficient tools to combat the virus load in our everyday life,” said Professor Varpu Marjomäki, a researcher at the University of Jyväskylä.
“Vaccinations are important, but they cannot deal with many of the…
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