This is a great step forward in the fight against the coronavirus. Researchers based in La Rochelle (Charente-Maritime) recently identified a brown algae capable of slowing the spread of Covid-19, reports South West Tuesday October 22, 2024. This is an algae called Fucus ceranoides.
Collected in the Gulf of Morbihan, it contains peptides “capable of strongly inhibiting the 3CL protease of Sars-CoV-2, an enzyme essential for the multiplication of the coronavirus”explains Laurent Picot, one of the researchers behind this discovery. These small proteins therefore act as a natural antiviral.
A treatment in the form of a nasal spray
According to the study, the hydroalcoholic extract made from the algae can then block up to 70% of the enzyme which participates in the virality of Covid-19. This discovery is promising for the development of new treatments, particularly in the form of a nasal spray.
According to Laurent Picot, if vaccination is effective against new viruses like Covid-19, “the search for effective antiviral treatments remains a priority for researchers”. In addition to its virtues against the coronavirus, algae Fucus ceranoides could also help treat herpes.
