Animal efficacy study of a plant extract complex (BEN815) as a potential treatment for COVID-19

by Moon Ho Do, Hua Li, Su Yeon Cho, Subin Oh, Ju Hwan Jeong, Min-Suk Song, Jong-Moon Jeong In a short time, several types of injectable and oral therapeutics have been developed and used to effectively manage patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). BEN815 is an improved mixture of three extracts (Psidium guajava,Camellia sinensis, andRosa hybrida) recognized by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety of Korea as a health food ingredient that alleviates allergic rhinitis. The current animal efficacy study was performed to assess its probability of improving COVID-19 symptoms. BEN815 treatment significantly increased the survival of K18-hACE2 transgenic mice and reduced viral titers in the lungs at 5 days post infection (DPI). Furthermore, the lungs of the treated mice showed mild tissue damage at 5 DPI and nearly complete recovery from COVID-19 at 14 DPI. BEN815 appears to be an effective and minimally toxic anti-SARS-CoV-2 agent in mice and has potential for clinical applications.
Source: PLoS One - Category: Biomedical Science Authors: Source Type: research