A study in the July edition of the Journal of Experimental and Clinical Cancer Research hints that Resveratrol, the polyphenol, antioxidant 800 pound gorilla, may be capable of inhibiting viral replication at the cellular level.  The study was conducted at the Sapienza University in Rome.  Co-author Gianfranco Risuleo, said that viral DNA replication seems to be inhibited in the nucleus of the cell.

Two groups of mouse tissue, one with tumors and the other without, were exposed to a particular virus and subsequently to either 20 or 40 micromoles of resveratrol.  For comparison, a control group was not exposed to any resveratrol.

The results of the study revealed that in the tissue without tumors, after 24 hours, 20 micromoles of resveratrol reduced the number of viable infected cells to 80%.  By 48 hours, the number decreased to 60%.  In the group with 40 micromoles of the compound, 60% of the cells infected were viable after 24 hours and 42% after 48 hours.  Resveratrol also inhibited viral replication in tumor cells.

It appears that, somehow, resveratrol blocks the ability of the cell nucleus to replicate the viral DNA.  Interestingly enough, the withdrawal of resveratrol allowed the virus to resume replication after several hours.

Once again, we are presented with some intriguing in vitro data that hints at the benefits of resverarol as an anti-viral agent.  As usual, it must be stated that these results are documented in the laboratory setting only and have not, as yet, been demonstrated in humans.

Tags: antioxidant, polyphenol, Resveratrol