The antiviral properties of the ornamental plant Graptopetalum paraguayense are being investigated by scientists from five scientific organisations. The plant is a drought-tolerant member of the Crassulaceae family that is grown as an ornamental houseplant in temperate climates. It is native to Mexico and is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions as an ornamental plant, but is used in Chinese medicine as a medicinal herb. It has a healing effect on people with conjunctivitis and herpes simplex, causing scientists to investigate its phytochemical composition and antimicrobial action.
Scientists from three institutes of BAS, the AgroBioInstitute of the Agricultural Academy and the National Center for Infectious and Parasitic Diseases are working together to obtain and study a common extract of the plant and to prepare a metabolic profile of the plant. The project leader is Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nadezhda Markova from the Institute of Organic Chemistry with Center of Phytochemistry at BAS.
The total extract and the obtained fractions were tested on different strains of viruses and bacteria to study their cytotoxic, antiviral and antibacterial action.
Following the pandemic caused by the human SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, the team of scientists is conducting tests for antiviral activity of extracts and active fractions from the plant on human coronaviruses.
