Drishtikone
This is a rather interesting find – cure that occurs in nature – which can help not just stop the virus but also play a vital role in curing it.
After more than 37,000 dengue cases, including 227 which resulted in death, across India, a grandma’s antidote for the virus seems to be getting scientific endorsement. A herbal concoction — juice of papaya leaf, common neem and hill neem — being given to dengue patients in government hospitals in Tamil Nadu has been found to have anti-viral properties. Tests conducted at the King Institute of Preventive Medicine found that the Siddha preparation brought down symptoms and speeded up the recovery of patients.
Scientists dropped the four strains of the dengue virus on the cell lines (drawn from the gut cells of dengue causing albopictus mosquito) and added the herbal preparation. Normally, the virus would have entered the cells. “After two days, we found the cell-lines were unaffected. The virus was neutralized by the herbal formulation. Further tests showed it blocked the virus from entering the cell. In cells where the virus had already entered, it prevented multiplication,” said King Institute director Dr P Gunasekaran.
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