Volume 4, February 2014, Pages 44–49
Virus entry / Environmental virology
Phytocompounds for the control of human enteric viruses
Highlights
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- Plant extracts have been researched for antiviral properties and health benefits.
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- Plant polyphenols that show activity against human enteric viruses are summarized.
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- Plant extracts appear to be promising alternatives to help control human enteric viruses.
Plant
extracts and associated polyphenols are known for their varied health
benefits that include antioxidant effects and antimicrobial properties.
The increasing consumer demand for cost-effective and natural
alternatives to chemically-synthesized antimicrobials and therapeutics
that are also sustainable makes the field of phytochemical research
rather intriguing and challenging. Human enteric viruses are
increasingly recognized worldwide as significant causes of human disease
in adults and children, alike. In the absence of available vaccines for
the human noroviruses, plant extracts are gaining popularity for the
prevention and treatment of viral diseases. Research on plant extracts
(particularly polyphenols derived from fruits) for human enteric virus
control will be briefly summarized in this article.
Copyright © 2014 Published by Elsevier B.V.
