Indian plant extracts found to have anticancer properties also work against Corona Virus ?
In 2016 and 2017, we had published two papers in international scientific journals, explaining WHY / HOW some 5 different INDIAN plant extracts prevent and cure cancer. That they work against cancerous cells was established by several other groups before us. We reported two independent mechanisms through which, these extracts cure and prevent cancer. See Indrani Kar and Rajagopal Chattopadhyaya (2016) Effect of seven Indian plant extracts on Fenton reaction-mediated damage to DNA constituents, Journal of Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics,
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07391102.2016.1244493 ; and,
Indrani Kar, Hemanta K. Majumder and Rajagopal Chattopadhyaya (2017) Extracts of Seven Indian Plants Inhibit Human Topoisomerase I and Partially Inhibit Human Topoisomerase II, Molecular Enzymology and Drug Targets, ISSN 2572-5475, Vol.3 No.1:1.
In our 2016 paper, it was shown that these plant extracts, when used in catalytic amounts, lead to increased destruction of deoxynucleosides and deoxynucleotides through the ongoing Fenton-reaction mediated hydroxyl radical attacks, while protecting double helical DNA. Since cancerous cells are known to grow much faster than normal cells, their growth will be significantly slowed down, while normal cells will be protected. In our 2017 paper, we have proposed a second independent mechanism, in the inhibition of human topoisomerases by these extracts. These plants have been used for hundreds of years in India for various medicinal purposes and are reasonably non-toxic.
Coming to the present world crisis, Prof. Rajagopal Chattopadhyaya predicts these same plant extracts are likely to work against the Corona Virus as well. Corona Virus is a RNA virus containing about 32,000 nucleotides. Just as for cancerous cells, the deoxynucleosides and deoxynucleotides were found to be destroyed at greater rates in the presence of these plant extracts, the same is predicted to happen for the nucleosides and nucleotides which are the monomeric building blocks for the syntheses of new RNA, on which the propagation of the virus will undoubtedly depend.
In addition, one of the world's foremost experts on cell-free ribosome assays, Prof. Yaeta Endo of Ehime University, Japan and visiting scientist, University of California, Santa Cruz, tested four of our five
extracts found to have anticancer properties in November 2017. Prof. Endo found that using 200 micrograms/mL of the Acacia catechu and Terminalia belerica extracts, reduced protein synthesis to 18% and 21% of their normal levels as measured by his cell-free assay. Though Prof. Endo didn't receive Terminalia chebula extracts from us, Prof. Chattopadhyaya feels T. chebula extracts will behave similarly to T. belerica, as they share many common compounds among their ingredients.
In addition, Dr. Amitava Maity, a homeopathic physician working in Calcutta, told Prof. Chattopadhyaya that he routinely prescribed Terminalia chebula mother tincture for his patients for the last 15 years, for treating viral infections, with wonderful results. So the big question that remains is, will these work against the Corona Virus ?
Prof. Chattopadhyaya thinks that they will.
Rajagopal Chattopadhyaya
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