Recent investigations reveal that A. sativum impairs the activity of the liver enzymes that process ABT-751 protease inhibitors and raises the protease inhibitor levels. The in vitro antiviral activity of A. sativum extract on human cytomegalovirus was also evaluated in tissue cultures, plaque reduction, and early antigen assay. A dose dependent inhibitory effect of GE was evident when GE was applied simultaneously with HCMV. The in vitro antiviral effect of garlic against parainfluenza virus type 3 and human Rhinovirus type 2 has also been evaluated. 5.1.4. Cocos nucifera. The coconut belongs to the Family Arecaceae. The most common form of its usage is the coconut oil, which is extracted from the kernel of matured coconut. Throughout the tropical regions, it has been the primary source of fat in the diets of millions of people since aeons.
Cocos nucifera oil has a long history of use, both as food and as medicine, throughout the world. It holds a high place of respect in Ayurvedic medicine in India. In folk remedies around the world, coconut is used to treat a wide assortment of ailments including abscesses, alopecia, amenorrhea, asthma, blenorrhagia, Ki16425 bronchitis, bruises, burns, cachexia, calculus, colds, constipation, cough, debility, dropsy, dysentery, dysmenorrhea, earache, erysipelas, fever, flu, gingivitis, gonorrhea, hematemesis, hemoptysis, jaundice, menorrhagia, nausea, phthisis, pregnancy, rash, scabies, scurvy, sore throat, stomachache, swelling, syphilis, toothache, tuberculosis, tumors, typhoid, venereal diseases, and wounds. It has been reported that certain fatty acids, primarily medium chain fatty acids, and their derivatives have potent antiviral properties.
When C. nucifera oil is consumed, the mediumchain triglycerides are broken down into individual medium chain fatty acids and monoglycerides, which can kill or inactivate pathogenic microorganisms inside the body. The antiviral action, attributed to monolaurin, is that of solubilizing the lipids and phospholipids in the envelope of the pathogenic organisms causing the disintegration of their outer membrane. There is also evidence that MCFA interfere with the organism,s signal transduction and the antimicrobial effect in viruses is due to interference with virus assembly and viral maturation. 5.1.5. Zingiber officinale. Zingiber officinale is a plant which belongs to the family Zingiberaceae.
The characteristic odor and flavor of ginger root is caused by a mixture of zingerone, shogaols, and gingerols, volatile oils that comprise of about one to three percent of the weight of fresh ginger. In laboratory animals, the gingerols increase the motility of the gastrointestinal tract and have analgesic, sedative, antipyretic, and antibacterial properties. Ginger contains gingerol, a pungent ingredient of ginger volatile oil with sulphur containing compounds, and enzymes. The antibiotic properties of allicin are well known. The allicins have fibrinolytic activity, which reduces platelet aggregation by inhibiting prostaglandin E2. Compounds in ginger also increase levels of antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase, which may be beneficial in inflammatory reactions triggered by viral infections. Anti influenza agents have been isolated from Z. officinale.