RESEARCHERS from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Mandi and the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) have identified phytochemicals in the petals of a Himalayan plant that could potentially be used to treat COVID-19 infection. The research found that phytochemical-rich petals of Rhododendron arboreum found in the Himalayan region, locally called “Buransh” show antiviral activity and fight against the virus. The findings of the research team have been recently published in the journal ‘Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics’. According to the team, two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, the researchers are trying to understand the nature of the virus and discovering new ways to prevent the infection.

 

“While vaccination is one route to providing the body with the fighting power against the virus, there is a worldwide search for non-vaccine medicines that can prevent viral invasion of the human body. These medicines use chemicals that either bind to the receptors in our body cells and prevent the virus from entering them or act on the virus itself and prevent its replication inside our bodies, “ said Shyam Kumar Masakapalli, Associate Professor, IIT Mandi’s School of Basic Science.

 

“Among the different types of therapeutic agents being studied, phytochemicals – chemicals derived from plants – are considered particularly promising because of their synergistic activity and natural source with fewer toxicity issues. We are hunting for promising molecules from the Himalayan flora using multi-disciplinary approaches,” Kumar said.