A Beijing research team using artificial intelligence to carry out their tests say that a compound found in liquorice extract – commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine – has shown great potential as an antiviral for possible COVID-19 treatment.
The extract from Chinese liquorice, a flowering plant native to Asia, contains a compound called liquiritin which has proved effective in trials, according to local media.
The compound was found to have prevented the rapid replication of the virus strain in monkey cells, according to reports.
Local media said the study used AI technology to speed up the research process and that the study has not yet been peer-reviewed.
It was researched by medical experts from Peking University and the Academy of Military Science who in a statement on the project said: “We recommend liquiritin as a competitive candidate for treating COVID-19.”
Since the pandemic started, many patients have been treated with known antiviral drugs, but none have proved sufficiently effective against COVID-19.
In China, liquiritin is commonly found in herbal liquorice tablets although many scientists remain unconvinced of its benefits, according to local media.
Liquorice extract is usually used for gastrointestinal and respiratory problems as well as a sweetener in food or drink.
The new study said that it can also work as an antioxidant as well as having antidepressant, anti-inflammatory and therapeutic effects on heart disease patients.
AI technology found that that liquiritin significantly inhibited the replication of the new virus strain in a cell line derived from a monkey, according to reports.
The compound was also tested on mice for one week and the combined results “did not show toxicity or side effects in two independent experiments”.
The researchers concluded: “In summary, we suggest that liquiritin should be assessed in human patients suffering from COVID-19.”
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Story By: Lee Bullen, Sub-Editor: Michael Leidig, Agency: Asia Wire Report
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