Tannic acid, commonly found in red wine, can interfere with the ability of SARS-CoV-2 to infect and replicate in human cells, Quebec scientists have found.
Researchers at the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS), Université de Montréal, McGill University, and Université du Québec à Montréal first discovered that tannic acid interferes with the binding of the virus' spike protein to the ACE2 receptors on the surface of cells, which the virus uses to enter and replicate.
Most interestingly, the researchers found that tannic acid interferes with the virus' spike protein, not the ACE2 receptors, thus minimizing the risk of adverse side effects.
"[Tannic acid] diverts the virus from its biological target," INRS professor Charles Ramassamy told The Canadian Press. "It's a huge advantage because it doesn't actually disrupt, or very little, the functioning of the organism. It will modify the structure of the [spike] protein, so it's like preventing it from attaching to the gateway."
The results are all the more compelling because all the researchers involved in this work came to the same conclusions, even though they used different techniques.
Taking their work a step further, the scientists identified a second mechanism by which tannic acid prevents SARS-CoV-2 from infecting human cells. Finally, they found that tannic acid can inhibit the activity of the viral enzyme responsible for virus replication.
"This is a multi-target mechanism of tannic acid, if you like, which can act on the viral protein, as well as on the inhibition of its entry into the cell, or even if the virus is already inside the cell, to prevent its replication," said Ramassamy.
The work was carried out in the laboratory on fragments of the virus, and not on the complete virus, for safety reasons. It also focused on the B117 variant, first detected in the U.K., which was dominant at the time, and not, for example, the Omicron variant, but Ramassamy said the results are very encouraging.
Tannic acid is a natural polyphenol found in many beverages such as red wine or tea, but in much smaller quantities than those used in the study.
"You'd have to drink a lot of cups of tea or bottles of red wine to get to the concentrations we're using," said Ramassamy with a laugh.
Instead, he envisioned the eventual development of tannic acid-containing tablets or nasal administration to prevent or inhibit SARS-CoV-2-induced infection.
Such a treatment would be less expensive than the antivirals currently on the market, and the side effects would be less because of the low toxicity of polyphenols. In addition, he said, tannic acid and its physiological derivatives have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, both of which are beneficial during remission of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
The findings were recently published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences.
-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on March 9, 2022.
The U.S. Supreme Court has ended the nation's constitutional protections for abortion that had been in place nearly 50 years in a decision by its conservative majority to overturn Roe v. Wade. Friday's outcome is expected to lead to abortion bans in roughly half the states.
Canadian politicians are responding to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to end constitutional protections for abortion, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau calling the news 'horrific.'
Canadian advocates are cautioning against complacency regarding abortions protections in place in Canada, after the U.S. Supreme court voted to overturn Roe v. Wade on Friday.
With the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to end constitutional protections for abortion, 26 states are likely to ban abortions; 13 of which are expected to enact bans against the medical procedure immediately.
A Member of Parliament from rural Alberta went live on Facebook Friday to celebrate a United States Supreme Court vote to end constitutional protections for abortion.
Two people were killed and 14 wounded on Saturday in a shooting at a nightclub and in nearby streets in Norway's capital Oslo, Norwegian police said.
Miners working in a gold field in Yukon have uncovered what is being called the 'most complete' mummified woolly mammoth found to date in North America, officials announced on Friday.
An Ontario driver is speaking out after a shovel struck her windshield while she was driving on the highway.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has unveiled his cabinet for the 43rd Parliament and there are some big changes to the front bench.
The Toronto Police Service are eyeing ways to add more technology to the city’s parking system in a way that could give drivers more options to avoid tickets — and close what one self-styled parking vigilante calls a “loophole.”
A newly installed Toronto city councillor has resigned just hours following her appointment after controversial social media posts resurfaced.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has unveiled his cabinet for the 43rd Parliament and there are some big changes to the front bench.
An Amber Alert has been issued by Cape Breton Regional Police for a missing teenager.
The inquiry into Nova Scotia’s 2020 mass shooting, says four pages of handwritten notes that sparked a political firestorm in Ottawa this week, weren’t immediately submitted when subpoenaed by its investigators.
After a week of criticism and anger at the Mass Casualty Commission in Nova Scotia, and outcry in a rural area of New Brunswick, there are questions about the RCMP’s role in community policing.
A London, Ont. cyclist is still recovering after being punched by a driver during his Thursday commute. Peter Riley was a little bloodied and very bruised, but said the incident won't keep him off his bike.
Gas prices are changing summer travel plans across the region. A survey conducted for CAA South Central Ontario found 64 per cent of drivers planning a road trip this summer responded that current gas prices will impact their choices.
A London courtroom heard how a 59-year-old man planned and schemed to defraud Canada Post over a three year period, and now a guilty verdict has been levelled.
A new visitor centre at the Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site is officially open.
After an incredible 56 years in business, a Sudbury boutique owner has decided to retire and close her shop.
While customers are returning to restaurants and hotels, many business owners in North Bay say their staff is still missing.
Four convicted multiple murderers in Alberta will be offered the chance to plead their cases to a parole board much earlier after series of appeal decisions on Friday.
After a decision that has sent shockwaves throughout the world about a woman's right to choose, Alberta's Health Minister Jason Copping says there won't be any change here despite what happens south of the border.
The Calgary Seed Library is tackling issues surrounding food security and sustainability with its weekly seed exchange.
Waterloo regional police are investigating after 21 vehicles at four Waterloo dealerships were vandalized in the space of two days.
The success is thanks to a team of local scientists.
The region says they expect encampment residents to comply with the order to leave and enforcement won’t be needed.
A former professional football player who was convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend will not be eligible for parole for 14 years.
A recently published report by the U.K.-based Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) ranked Vancouver as the fifth most livable city in the world.
With hot weather on the way this weekend for the first time this summer, many Vancouverites will be heading for the beach. Unfortunately, two popular beaches will be closed to swimming because of E. coli contamination.
A Member of Parliament from rural Alberta went live on Facebook Friday to celebrate a United States Supreme Court vote to end constitutional protections for abortion.
Canadian politicians are responding to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to end constitutional protections for abortion, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau calling the news 'horrific.'
Alberta's health minister is travelling to Denmark and the United Kingdom for a series of meetings with health-care leaders and innovators.
Jody Jackson is dealing with a post-op infection but overall she is happy to be alive and recovering in a Toronto hospital from a liver transplant she received June 8.
A registered nurse who works inside the South West Detention Centre testified Friday in the ongoing inquest into the death of inmate Delilah Blair.
The aptly-named June 27th Miracle has, to date, provided more than three-million pounds of food for Windsor-Essex food banks. But unlike previous years, the organizing committee is shifting away from front-porch pick-ups toward a shop-and-drop model.
Saskatchewan's skies lived up to its moniker Thursday night, creating some picturesque storm clouds.
The Regina Board of Education is projecting a $2.5 million deficit for the 2022-23 school year, with rising costs neutralizing funding increases.
Planning for the new General Hospital Parkade project is continuing, after no historical burials were found following investigation into anomalies identified by ground penetrating radar.
An Ottawa family is demanding answers after their son went missing for five hours following his pickup from school on Monday.
The impact of the Roe v. Wade ruling in the United States, allowing states to ban abortions, is being felt here in the nation’s capital.
The Nepean MPP’s exclusion means there is only one cabinet minister from Ottawa in the new Progressive Conservative government. Kanata-Carleton MPP Merrilee Fullerton will remain the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services.
A woman at the centre of a child abuse case took the stand in her own trial. She told court why her nephews were found in an empty room, locked shut with rope.
In the town of Kerrobert Sask., with a population of just under 1000 people, a community came out for an event a century in the making.
Naomi and Al Hawkins say they were in “shock” and “alarmed” when they heard that the man who took care of their son at a group home in Hepburn, Sask. was facing several sexual assault charges.
© 2022 All rights reserved. Use of this Website assumes acceptance of Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy