Researchers in the United States have demonstrated the antiviral effect of 3 nasal spray formulations candidate for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the coronavirus disease agent 2019 (COVID-19).
An algae extract called iota-caraghénane, which is used as a thickening agent in food products, has effectively inhibited SARS-CoV-2 in mobile cultures at concentrations as low as 6 mg/ml.
Julio César Vega of Amcyte Pharma and his colleagues at the Center for Health Sciences at the University of Tennessee and the Pablo Cassar Foundation in Argentina say that the effects recommend that clinical use of iota-caragenin nasal spray can save it and treat COVID-19.
A low concentration of a hard wood extract called xylitol, which is used as a substitute for sugar, also inhibited SARS-CoV-2 in vitro.
Xylitol, mixed with iota-caraghenne, can be beneficial, explains the equipment.
The authors argue that the concentrations at which the compounds have shown antiviral activity can be easily achieved with the application of nasal sprays that are already commercially found in several countries.
“Iota-caraghenane and xylitol are for humans, and are used in much larger quantities as a food additive and sweetener, respectively, than those that can be used for nasal administration,” the team wrote. “Both are included in nasal formulations that are already on the market for use in young people and adults.”
You must have a preprinted edition of the article on the bioRxiv server, while the article is peer-reviewed.
Since the first cases of COVID-19 were known in Wuhan, China, which was defeated last year, the pandemic has continued to ravage around the world and has now inflamed more than 23.5 million people and caused more than 810,000 deaths.
In most cases, SARS-CoV-2 only causes mild or asymptomatic illness, however, about 15% of others develop severe viral pneumonia and require hospitalization.
Currently, there are no effective preventive or curative approaches, and there is an urgent desire to offer trouble-free treatments that can prevent transmission and serve as early treatments.
In the early stages of infection, viral replication sites are nasal hollow space and nasopharynge.
“Therefore, the use of antiviral nasal sprays would decrease the nasal and nasopharyngeal viral load, which would slow the progression of the disease in the treated patient and the transmission of the disease to others in close contact with it,” Vega and his colleagues said.
Iota-caraghenane has already been shown to exhibit antiviral activity in its interaction with the viral surface, preventing viral access and capturing viral debris released through inflamed cells.
In addition, iota-caraghenane has already been formulated in nasal spray and has been shown to be effective against the virus that causes the non-unusual cold.
Similarly, xylitol has been shown to have fitness benefits and is already used as a nasal spray to treat rhinosinusitis and middle ear infection.
In vitro studies have also shown the antiviral activity of xylitol against the human respiratory syncytial virus.
Iota-caraghenane and xylitol are for humans and are already included in nose formulations advertised for use in young people and adults.
Now, Vega and the team have demonstrated the effectiveness of 3 nasal spray formulations candidate for viral load in Vero mobile cultures.
For iota-caraghénane, 3 dose-dependent sample formulations (in a range of 600 mg/mL to 0 mg/mL) and formulations containing placebo were analyzed.
Researchers found that iota-caraghan concentrations of six hundred mg/ml, 60 mg/ml and 6 mg/ml were all effective in inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 in samples 1 and 2.
In pattern 3, the maximum efficacy of which to inhibit the virus, antiviral activity was also observed at all concentrations. However, pattern 3 also contained xylitol, suggesting that this compound, mixed with iota-caraghnene, would possibly provide other benefits.
“Xylitol at a concentration of 5% m/V has been found to be viricidal in itself, and the arrangement with iota-caraghennane would possibly also be beneficial,” the team wrote.
Testing speculation in trials
Researchers say this speculation is very well-proven in clinical trials, which are taking place lately.
“The knowledge presented here is encouraging in this regard,” they write.
The authors say that they are now beginning a series of multicenter randomized controlled trials to compare the effectiveness of iota-caraghan nasal spray formulations in the hospital in relation to patients with COVID-19, patients with COVID-19 and others in close contact with those individuals.
“However, it should be noted that this nasal spray and others are on the market and that its protective profile is remarkable,” the team concludes.
bioRxiv publishes initial clinical reports that are not peer-reviewed and are therefore not considered conclusive, clinical practices/health-related behaviors, nor are they treated as established information.
Written by
Sally holds a bachelor’s degree in biomedical sciences (B.Sc.). He specializes in reviewing and synthesizing the latest discoveries in all covered medical spaces in major high-impact foreign medical journals, foreign press meetings, and advertisements from government agencies and regulators. At News-Medical, Sally generates news, articles about life sciences, and interview coverage.
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