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November 3, 2004
Cranberries may be beneficial in herpes
Pharma Marketletter
Alpine cranberries have significant biological activity that can help to combat herpes virus type II (HSV-2) infection, one of the most common viral infections in humans, according to research published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture.
Researchers at the Kaohsiung Medical University in Taiwan say they have isolated a compound called proanthocyanidin A-1 from the evergreen shrub, also known as Vaccinium vitis-idaea, lingonberry or partridgeberry. Chun-Ching Lin and his team found that the compound significantly suppressed HSV-2 infection in vitro without any toxic effect.
Although in experiments the compound did not reduce the infectivity of the virus, it did cut the effects of the infection by preventing viral attachment and penetration, and disturbed the late-stage of infection.