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

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 18; no. 9; p. e0291537
• Main Authors: Do, Moon Ho, Li, Hua, Cho, Su Yeon, Oh, Subin, Jeong, Ju Hwan, Song, Min-Suk, Jeong, Jong-Moon
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 14-09-2023; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Allergic rhinitis; Animal experimentation; Animal tissues; Animals; Animals, Laboratory; Antiviral drugs; Biology and life sciences; Camellia sinensis; Catechin; Chemical properties; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Cytokines; Effectiveness; Food; Food allergies; Genetic engineering; Guava; Health aspects; Health services; Infection; Infections; Lungs; Materia medica, Vegetable; Medical treatment; Medicine and health sciences; Mice; Mice, Transgenic; Natural & organic foods; Pandemics; Pharmacovigilance; Plant extracts; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plant Extracts - therapeutic use; Proteins; Research and Analysis Methods; Rhinitis; RNA polymerase; Roses; Safety and security measures; SARS-CoV-2; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Signs and symptoms; Statistical significance; Tea; Tea (Plant); Testing; Transgenic mice; Variance analysis; Viral diseases; Viruses; South Korea; United States > US
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291537

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, and Rosa 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.