Sensation Asian medicinal plant effective against Ebola viruses

A herbal remedy acts against the Ebola virus. The natural product Silvestrol reduces the number of pathogens in affected cells. The production of viral proteins is largely omitted when the natural product is used. This is shown by scientists in a recent study.

Dangerous pathogens such as the Ebola virus access enzymes of their host cells to convert their own genetic information into proteins. The researchers investigated whether the natural product silvestrol inhibits a cellular enzyme that needs Ebola virus to produce its own proteins.

Silvestrol is derived from the Asian mahogany plant Aglaia foveolata and is used in cancer research to inhibit the cell's enzyme eIF4A.

The researchers found that Silvestrol causes the virus concentration in the cells to decrease significantly. Viral proteins disappear almost completely. The experiments show that the Ebola virus relies on the enzyme eIF4A of the host cell to produce its own proteins. Thus, it is almost impossible for the Ebola virus, by mutations in its own genome to escape the antiviral effect of Silvestrol.

The effective Silvestrol concentration proved to be non-toxic to human cells. The study can be found here.