A routine investigation of phytochemicals
(chemical molecules produced
by plants that aid in the battle against fungi,
viruses, and animal
ingestion) in Himalayan plants resulted in an
intriguing discovery.

The petals of the commonly available plant ‘Himalayan
Buransh’
(rhododendron arboreum), according to researchers
at the Indian
Institute of Technology (IIT), Mandi, have traits
that inhibit
COVID-19 proliferation. In research employing
COVID-19-infected Vero
E6 cells, this was established.

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Dr. Shyam Kumar Masakapalli, associate professor,
BioX Centre, School
of Basic Science, IIT Mandi, revealed that their
team has been trying
to understand Himalayan flora, including rare,
endangered, aromatic,
and medicinal species, since 2019. Their ultimate
goal was to
establish a Himalayan Phytochemical Library to
help in the knowledge
of plant-derived compounds and the treatment of
certain illnesses.

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020, they
boosted their efforts
to create plant-derived medicinal powers against
the virus. Despite
the fact that Himalayan Buransh petals have long
been a local
delicacy, the properties of the petals are said to
be being studied
for the first time.

While the leaves are toxic to consume, the petals
can be used as a
garnish. Compounds extracted from these petals
were used in
computational and biological studies. Hot water extracts
of the petals
were found to be rich in quinic acid and its
derivatives, according to
the researchers.

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‘Molecular dynamics investigations revealed that
these phytochemicals
had two types of antiviral actions. They attached
to the primary
protease – an enzyme that is critical in viral
replication – as well
as the Human Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme-2
(ACE2), which promotes
viral entrance into host cells, according to Dr.
Shyam Kumar.

He described how the test was carried out, noting
that the COVID-19
virus was originally allowed to infect the monkey
liver cells, after
which some cells died and the virus multiplied.
However, when the
plant-derived component (in varying proportions)
was introduced, the
viral load fell and the virus’s impact was reduced
by up to 80%.

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However, it might take up to a year of
investigation to see if this
chemical can be utilized to produce a COVID-19
medication. This phase
includes more research, testing, and clinical
trials.