https://today.oregonstate.edu/news/oregon-state-research-shows-hemp-compounds-prevent-coronavirus-entering-human-cells
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35007072/
Posted: Jan 11, 2022 7:08 PM Posted By: Grace Smith CORVALLIS, Ore. -- There could be a new tool in the fight against the virus. It's not a vaccine or a pill, but rather, a plant. A study at Oregon State University found that hemp compounds can block the virus from entering your cells.
It's surprising research that stems from Richard Van Breeman's lab having to make a switch during COVID.
"The laboratories mostly shut down; we were only allowed to do research on COVID in the lab with just a few people at a time. So we repurpose our unique analytical chemistry applications of drug discovery, which is based on a technique called mass spectrometry to look at the anti-COVID possibilities," Van Breeman said.
With COVID now the focus, Van Breeman and other researchers at the Hemp Innovation Center looked at how hemp could block COVID. It turns out the compounds can actually prevent COVID from entering human cells.
Researchers found that a pair of cannabinoid acids bind to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, blocking a critical step in the process the virus uses to infect people.
But one thing is clear, the compounds found to be active against the coronavirus cannot be inhaled through smoke or vape.
"They would decompose; they would degrade," Van Breeman said.
He said hemp is a source of fiber, food and animal feed, and multiple hemp extracts and compounds are usually added to cosmetics, body lotions, dietary supplements and food.
"Many products have available, maybe online, that have certificates of analysis where a chemist like myself will have gone and looked at the different things present and document how much of each is there. Look for products that contain high levels of CBDA, CBGA, THCA: these are the active anti-viral compounds," Van Breeman said.
So, while COVID cases may be growing, so too is the research into finding ways to fight it.
https://www.kezi.com/content/news/Researchers-say-hemp-compounds-can-be-used-to-fight-COVID-576046211.html
Posted: Jan 11, 2022 8:08 AM Posted By: Asia Fearrington CORVALLIS, Ore. -- Research from Oregon State University shows hemp compounds can prevent coronavirus from entering human cells.
The study was led by Richard van Breemen, a researcher with Oregon State’s Global Hemp Innovation Center, College of Pharmacy and Linus Pauling Institute. The findings were published Tuesday in the Journal of Natural Products, according to an OSU news release.
Van Breemen and other researchers, which include scientists at Oregon Health & Science University, found that a pair of cannabinoid acids bind to coronavirus spike proteins, which block the way the virus infects people.
“These cannabinoid acids are abundant in hemp and in many hemp extracts,” van Breemen said. “They are not controlled substances like THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, and have a good safety profile in humans."
Van Breemen said their research showed the hemp compounds were equally effective against multiple variants of the coronavirus, including the alpha variant, which was first detected in the United Kingdom and the beta variant, which was first detected in South Africa.
Hemp is a source of fiber, food and animal feed, and multiple hemp extracts and compounds are added to cosmetics, body lotions, dietary supplements and food, van Breemen said.
https://www.kezi.com/content/news/Oregon-State-study-shows-hemp-compounds-block-coronavirus-from-entering-human-cells-576043091.html
Edited by MadMuncher (01/12/22 08:21 AM)
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