Natural geranium extracts inactivate HIV-1

Geranium extracts may be complementary to already established anti-HIV therapies

31/01/2014

Certain geranium extracts cause inactivation of HI virus type 1 and thereby inhibit its replication. This is reported by researchers from the Helmholtz Zentrum München (HMGU) in the renowned specialist journal „PLOS ONE“. Thus, the root extracts of the medicinal plant Pelargonium sidoides may be an alternative to already established drugs for AIDS. Especially people in regions where conventional anti-HIV-1 drugs are scarce could benefit from the geranium extract. Its production is simple and durability high, the researchers write.

Geranium extracts prevent the penetration of HIV into host cells
A team around Dr. Markus Helfer and Prof. Dr. med. Ruth Brack-Werner from the Institute of Virology am. Philippe Schmitt-Kopplin of the Department of Analytical Biogeochemistry analyzed the antiviral activity of geranium extracts in cell cultures. The researchers discovered that the plant substances protect the blood and immune cells from HIV-1 infection by blocking the attachment of the virus to the host cells. In this way, the penetration of HI viruses is prevented. The antiviral effect of the geranium extracts is due to so-called polyphenols. As researchers report, isolated polyphenol mixtures are highly effective against Type I HI virus. Compared to coarse extract, they are also gentler on the cells.

„Our findings on Pelargonium sidoides' anti-HIV-1 effects provide the first evidence that geranium extracts can be used to develop a novel, science-based herbal medicine for HIV-1“, explains Brack-Werner, head of the working group. „Because Pelargonium sidoides extracts attack the virus in a manner that differs from all previously clinically used drugs against HIV-1, such phytomedicine would be a valuable addition to the already established anti-HIV therapies.“ Especially in regions „with limited access to conventional anti-HIV-1 drugs“ Patients could benefit from the herbal substances, „because they are easy to make and very durable“, so Brack-Werner. To confirm the efficacy of geranium extracts against HIV in the human body further investigation is needed.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 35 million people worldwide are infected with HIV. The HI virus type 1 is considered the main pathogen. Often, the disease is diagnosed very late, as it can go on for years without clear symptoms. (Ag)