Scientists Reveals Possible Cure For Deadly Ebola Virus(Bitter Kola)

I got this as a BC on my BBM today and I also googled it...so
here is what I found:
A plant has been found to halt the deadly Ebola virus in its
tracks in laboratory tests, scientists have said. They used a
compound from Garcinia kola (Bitter Kola), a plant commonly
eaten in West Africa. Compounds from the plant have also
proved effective against some strains of flu.
If the anti-Ebola compound proves successful in animal and
human trials, it will be the first medicine to successfully treat
the virus that causes Ebola haemorrhagic fever - an often-
fatal condition.
The discovery was announced at the 16th International
Botanical Congress in St Louis in the US.
The Nigerian researchers led by Dr
Maurice Iwu claim they are a step
closer to a universally accepted cure
for Ebola virus, Dengue fever and
leishmaniasis. They claim the herbal
preparation has also been
successfully used, in clinical studies,
to treat hepatitis B and C, cancer,
diabetes and tuberculosis.
The researchers from Halamin
Herbal centre, 10 George Innih
Crescent, Apo District, Abuja and
Department of Histopathology and Cytology, Jos University
Teaching Hospital (JUTH) Jos, Plateau State, found that the
poly herbal preparations- DAABS2 and HEPATOSAAB-
strengthen the immune system through many cytokines and
chemokines regulations.
Amodu is also a member of the committee inaugurated by
the Director General of the National Agency for Food Drug
Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dr. Paul Orhii, to
champion the development of herbal medicine through
scientific validation of all the cure claims.
The yet to be published new study is titled "Natural and
Sustainable Alternative for the Management of Dengue Fever
in West Africa."
Also results of another study presented, in 1999, at the 16th
International Botanic Congress in St Louis, Missouri, United
States, indicate that bitter cola (Garcinia kola), a plant
widely used in traditional African medicine may contain a
compound that is effective against Ebola virus disease.
Executive director of the Bio-resources Development and
Conservation Programme, Prof. Maurice Iwu, explained that
an extract derived from the seeds of Garcinia kola could
inhibit this virus in cell culture at non-toxic concentrations.
Iwu and his colleagues identified Garcinia kola as a possible
source of drugs using the method called Corbel (clinical
observation-based ethnomedical lead).
Extracts from Garcinia kola seeds were tested against many
complex viral diseases. The active compound, now known to
be a biflavonoid, was found to be active against a wide
range of viruses including the influenza virus.
Iwu reveals last week: "The active substance is an extract
from Garcinia kola (bitter kola) called Kolaviron, which
contains bioflavonoids and prenylated xanthones and
benzophenones.
"Work was done while a scientist at the Division of
Experimental Therapeutics of Walter Reed Army Institute of
Research Washington DC in collaboration with Southern
Research Institute (SRI).
"But no follow up. Others at Ibadan and other Nigerian
universities have done follow-up work on Kolaviron."
Fighting chance
The virus multiplies rapidly in the human body and quickly
overwhelms it, and in advanced cases the patient develops
high fever and severe bleeding.
The Garcinia kola compound has been shown to halt
multiplication of the virus in the laboratory. If repeated in
humans, this would give the body a chance to fight off the
virus.
The active compound is what is known as a dimeric
flavonoid, which is two flavonoid molecules fused together.
Flavonoids are non-toxic and can be found in orange and
lemon rinds as well as the colourings of other plants.
Drug hopes
The tests are in the early stages still, but the researchers
hope that if they continue to prove successful the compound
the US Food and Drug Administration will put it on a fast
track - making a drug available to humans within a matter
of years.
"The discovery of these important properties in a simple
compound - flavonoids - was very surprising," said Dr Iwu.
"The structure of this compound lends itself to modification, so
it provides a template for future work.
"Even if this particular drug does not succeed through the
whole drug approval process, we can use it to construct a
new drug for this deadly disease."
The Ebola virus was first documented in 1976 after an
outbreak in Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- where 88% of the 318 human cases died.
More recently, a 1995 outbreak in the same country had a
death rate of 81% of the 315 infected.
There are four types of the virus - Ebola-Zaire, Ebola-Sudan
and Ebola-Ivory Coast all affect humans, while Ebola-Reston
has so far only affected monkeys and chimpanzees.
However, doctors have been unable to stop the virus once
infection has taken hold - hence the disease has gained a
terrifying reputation.
Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN