A team of international researchers has found that an extract from the bark of the neem tree may help treat and reduce the spread of the coronavirus.

The study, recently published in the journal Virology, showed that components of neem bark may target a wide range of viral proteins, indicating its potential as an antiviral agent against emerging variants of coronaviruses (including SARS-CoV-2).

The Neem tree, which has its origins in India, has been used for thousands of years for its anti-parasitic, anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties.

The bark extract helped treat malaria, stomach and intestinal ulcers, skin diseases, and many other diseases.

“The goal of this research is to develop a neem-based drug that can reduce the risk of serious illness when someone is infected with the coronavirus,” said study co-author Maria Nagel, research professor in the Department of Neurology and Ophthalmology at UCLA.

She added, “We hope that scientists will not have to constantly develop new treatments every time a new type of SARS-CoV-2 emerges. Just like how we treat penicillin to treat a sore throat, we imagine taking a neem-based drug for Covid-19, allowing We can resume our normal lives without fear of hospitalization and death.”

Scientists investigated the effect of bark extract on corona viruses in their laboratories. In India, researchers tested it on animal models and showed that it has antiviral properties.

Using computer modeling, the researchers predicted that the neem bark extract would bind to the “spike” protein in SARS-CoV-2 at different sites, preventing virus entry into host cells.

And at the University of Colorado Anschutz, Nagel’s lab tested neem bark extract in human SARS-CoV-2 lung cells. It proved its effectiveness as a preventive medicine for infection and also reduced the replication and spread of the virus after infection.

Nagel explained, “The next step in our research is to identify the specific components in neem bark extract that are antiviral. Because these components bind to different regions of SARS-CoV-2, we believe they will be effective on emerging variants with high mutagenicity. We will then determine the drug dosage formulation. Antiviral to treat corona virus infection.

The scientists said this research could guide new antiviral therapeutic efforts to combat the ongoing epidemic, while fulfilling promises to treat new coronavirus strains.