People's with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) may heaved a sigh of relief following the result of new study, suggesting that bananas may over take anti-retroviral drugs in stopping HIV/AIDS spread. The new United States study which was published in the journal of biological chemistry concluded that banana lectins, a natural chemical found in banana has the ability to stop the transmission and prevention of HIV.
Also in another development, Nigerian researchers at the University of Lagos have shown that potency of unripe banana, lemon grass and turmeric against pathogens that cause typhoid fever, pneumonia, skin afflictions and diarrhoea.
The study titled, "A lectin isolated from banana is a potent inhibitor of HIV replication" was conducted by Michael D. Swanson, Harry C. Winter, Irwin J. Goldstein and David M. Markovitz from the Department of Internal medicine, Division of infectious Diseases, Programme in Immunology, Cellular and Molecular Biology Programme and Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan Medical centre, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States.
This new research found Ban Lec, "a jacalin-related pectin isolated from the fruit of bananas, a potential component for an antiviral microbicide that could be used to prevent the sexual transmission of HIV-1. Ban Lec is an effective anti HIV pectin and is similar potency to T-20 and maraviroc, two anti-HIV drugs currently in clinical use." In the study by Nigerian researchers, dried banana pulp has also shown promise as natural agents for lowering blood cholesterol levels and the risk of heart diseases.
Also Nigerian researchers have successfully used dried banana pulp to treat Hypercholesterolaemia in animal models.
Hypercholesterolaemia is a condition in which levels of cholesterol in the blood are higher than normal. The researchers claim this Hypercholesterolaemia effect ( lowering of blood cholesterol levels) can be replicated in human. Banana fruits have been reported to be preventing anaemia (lack of blood) by stimulating the production of haemoglobin in the blood. Haemoglobin is the iron containing oxygen-transport metalloprotein in the red blood cells of vertebrates and the tissues of some invertebrates. Several studies have shown that the medicinal parts of banana used are the fruits mainly as well as peels, leaves and the juice. Banana function in regulating blood pressure has been linked with the high content of potassium. Banana is known to help Slovenia the problem of constipation without necessary resort to laxatives.
Bananas have been known to cure heart burns, stress, strokes, ulcers and many other ailments. The root of banana is anthelmintic (worm expeller by stunning or killing them). The fruit has been used as part of anti-ulcer diet in combination with pineapples, blueberries, cloves, ginger and cinnamon. Also anti-fungal and antibiotic chemical substances are found in the peel and pulp of fully ripe banana. The peel in combination of other substances made into a liniment helps to reduce acute arthritis pain and aches. The lead author of the United State study, Michael D. Swanson said, "the problem with some HIV drugs is that virus can mutate and become resistant, but that's much harder to do in the presence of lectins. Can bind to the sugars found on different spots of the HIV-1 envelope, and presumably it will take multiple mutations for the virus to get around them." The authors say even modest success could save millions of lives.
Other researchers had estimated that 20 percent coverage with a microbicide that is only 60 percent effective against HIV may prevent up to 2.5 million HIV infections in three years. Ban Lec is a jacalin-related pectin isolated from the fruit of bananas. This lectin binds to high mannose carbohydrate structures, including those found on viruses containing glycosylated envelope proteins such as HIV-1. There fore, we hypothesized that Ban Lec might inhibit HIV-1 through binding of the glycosylated HIV-1 envelope proteins, gp120. We determined that Ban Lec inhibits primary and laboratory-adapted HIV-1 isolates of different tropism and subtypes. Ban Lec possesses potent and HIV activity, with IC… Valves in the low nanomolar to pecomolar range. " The researchers, further state that Ban Lec as indicated by temperature sensitive viral entry studies and by the decrease levels of the strong-stop product of early reverse transcription seen in the presence of Ban Lec. Thus, our data indicate that Ban Lec inhibits HIV-1 infection by binding to the glycosylated viral envelope and blocking cellular entry. The relative anti-HIV activity of Ban Lec compared favourably to other anti-HIV lectins, such as snowdrop lectin and griffithein, and to T-20 and maraviroc.
Ban Lec is a potential component for an anti-viral microbicide that could be used to prevent the sexual transmission of HIV-1. Researchers say treatment using Ban Lec could be cheaper to create than current anti-retroviral medications, which use synthetically produced components. Also, Ban Lec may provide a Large range of protection for many people particularly in developing countries where poverty is abject and the women have little or no say in sexual relationships between spouses.
Meanwhile, Nigerian researchers at the University of Lagos have shown the potency of unripe bananas, lemon grass and turmeric against pathogens. The formulations were in the powder form as used locally.
The study showed the antimicrobial activity of these plants was examined using different solvents and efficacy was compared. The solvents were ethanol (70 per cent, v/v) and water. The clinical isolated (pathogens) on which the antimicrobial activity in the study was carried out include aerobic facultative bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella paratyphi, Shigella flexneri, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Ecoli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonae auriginosa. According to the researchers, the results obtained from the test analysis carried out reveal that unripe bananas, lemon grass and turmeric plant have antimicrobial activity and therefore are medicinal plants. In this study, it was observed that the potency of unripe bananas, lemon grass and turmeric plant was enhanced by the type of solvent used, indicating that some of the active materials in The medicinal plants dissolve well in ethanol than in water.
The various studies in the United State and Nigeria lend credence to the medicinal importance of bananas in therapies for HIV and other microbial infections.
Extra tips
Are you feeling signs of Persistent, sneezing, watery/itchy nose are features of allergic rhinitis. Avoid dust, strong perfurmes. Get anti-histamine nasal spray for fast relief.
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