Antiviral Gum Against Flu and Herpes: Viral Defense With One Chew!

A plant-based protein in chewing gum neutralizes influenza and herpes viruses at their oral entry point.

Highlights:

Plant-derived FRIL protein effectively traps and neutralizes viruses in the mouth
The gum remains potent and stable for over two years
Safe for clinical use, with no detectable pathogens or toxins

"Sometimes, the smallest bites carry the biggest breakthroughs!"

The existing preventive measures through vaccinations face constraints in their fight against infections caused by influenza and herpes simplex virus (HSV) ().

Barriers to HSV prevention and influenza immunization include a lack of effective HSV vaccines, low vaccine uptake, and waning immunity over time. As oral transmission is more common than nasal, researchers are developing novel strategies to reduce viral concentrations at the primary entry point.

A clinical-grade chewing gum containing natural viral trap protein FRIL serves as a new method to target virus neutralization directly within the oral cavity.

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‘Did You Know?
Chewing antiviral gum could one day be a frontline defense against flu and herpes! #flu #herpes #infectiousdiseases #medindia’

Chewing Gum: A Novel Antiviral Delivery System

FRIL's Stability and Functionality: Lablab bean powder containing FRIL showed stability up to 683 days, while chewing gum with FRIL experienced 790 days of stability before undergoing complete functionality testing following 794 days of storage at ambient conditions.
Effective Virus Trapping: Bean gum extracts trapped 75–94% of HSV-1 and HSV-2 viruses by promoting self-aggregation of viral particles based on concentration.
Rapid Release During Chewing: Bean gum showed equa.

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Potent Neutralization of Influenza and HSV

Influenza Virus Neutralization: The combination of bean gum at 40 mg/mL with 1,000 copies/mL virus particles demonstrated greater than 95% H1N1 and H3N2 influenza virus neutralization according to plaque reduction assays.
HSV Neutralization: Bean gum was equally effective against HSV-1 at 160 mg/mL and against HSV-2 at 74 mg/mL.

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Safety and Clinical Potential

Safety Profile: The bean gum fulfilled bioburden testing requirements because it showed zero presence of aerobic bacteria, yeasts, and molds while maintaining low moisture at 1.28-5.9%. There were no detectable glycosides found in the bean gum sample, which supports its positive safety outcomes.
Clinical Readiness: A single 2000 mg bean gum tablet demonstrated efficacy in clinical evaluations, confirming its potential as a preventive method against viruses in humans.

FRIL-formulated chewing gum presents an innovative method to fight influenza and HSV transmission by delivering treatment directly to the virus entry point in the mouth. Its stability, efficacy, and safety profile support further clinical evaluation and potential integration into public health measures.

“Chew to Shield: Empowering Oral Defense Against Viruses”

Reference:

Debulking influenza and herpes simplex virus strains by a wide-spectrum anti-viral protein formulated in clinical grade chewing gum - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39663701/)

Source-Medindia

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