Friday Hope: Moringa: Anti-Spike, Anti-Mpro, Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Cancer
A potent immune booster with the ability to inhibit both SARS-CoV-2's Spike Protein and Mpro.
Given the ever emerging evidence that the Spike Protein is most likely responsible for the majority of the accelerated aging associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection (and, of course, Spike Protein exposure), I have been searching for natural treatments which can inhibit the activities of SARS-CoV-2 and its Spike Protein. One very promising candidate is the herb Moringa oleifera (Moringa). The herb is not only a potent anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic, it also possesses the ability to directly inhibit the Spike Protein of SARS-CoV-2 and its Mpro (Main Protease).
What is Moringa?
Moringa oleifera is a fast-growing, drought-resistant tree of the family Moringaceae, native to the Indian subcontinent and used extensively in South and Southeast Asia. Common names include moringa, drumstick tree (from the long, slender, triangular seed-pods), horseradish tree (from the taste of the roots, which resembles horseradish), or malunggay (as known in maritime or archipelagic areas in Asia).
It is widely cultivated for its young seed pods and leaves, used as vegetables and for traditional herbal medicine. It is also used for water purification. Although listed as an invasive species in several countries, M. oleifera has "not been observed invading intact habitats or displacing native flora", so "should be regarded at present as a widely cultivated species with low invasive potential."
Moringa oleifera
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moringa_oleifera
First, simply due to the fact that Moringa (MO) is excellent at mediating inflammation, even in states of chronic disease, it caught my attention. Clearly, this benefit is excellent in dealing with SARS-CoV-2 infection and Spike Protein exposure.
Schematic diagram of Moringa oleigera Lam in dealing with immune disorders.
Current research shows that MO exerts its multiple immune-related effects primarily through directly eliminating pathogens or modulating the balance of pro- and anti-inflammatory mediators released from various kinds of immune cells by regulating the activity of signaling pathways, such as the canonical NF-κB pathway. Significantly, the bioactivity of MO is dependent on its active ingredients, which are related to the different parts of this plant and extraction methods used. Notably, in some experiments, low-dose application of MO might have a better anti-inflammatory effect than higher doses (Ferreira et al., 2008; Almatrafi et al., 2017; Kapse et al., 2017), which suggested the necessity of identifying the appropriate dosage of MO before clinical application.
Moringa oleifera Lam and its Therapeutic Effects in Immune Disorders
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2020.566783/full
What makes Moringa particularly valuable as a COVID/Spike Protein therapeutic is that it also possesses the ability to inhibit both the Main Protease (Mpro) of SARS-CoV-2 and the activity (binding) of the Spike Protein itself.
Twenty-two compounds of M. oleifera showed inhibitory potential against SARS-CoV-2 proteins, which are crucial for virus infection and replication in host cells. Among them, ellagic acid, rutin, myricetin, quercetin, and luteolin were the most promising candidates that showed significant affinity with the S protein of the virus. Specifically, ellagic acid stood out as a promising candidate, demonstrating the best molecular affinity with the spike protein. This compound also demonstrated a better molecular interaction than the standard antiviral drugs approved by ANVISA for SARS-CoV-2. Furthermore, pharmacokinetic evaluations indicate that ellagic acid has satisfactory solubility and low toxicity, which ensures its viability as a therapeutic option for SARS-CoV-2 infection. It is also important to note that ellagic acid showed no evidence of skin sensitization or carcinogenicity in our in silico study. However, it is crucial to carry out experimental validations to consider these compounds as promising candidates for the treatment of COVID-19.
Molecular Docking and ADME-TOX Profiling of Moringa oleifera Constituents against SARS-CoV-2
https://www.mdpi.com/2543-6031/91/6/35#
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has created a global human health crisis and economic setbacks. Lack of specific therapeutics and limited treatment options against COVID-19 has become a new challenge to identify potential hits in order to develop new therapeutics. One of the crucial life cycle enzymes of SARS-CoV-2 is main protease (Mpro), which plays a major role in mediating viral replication, makes it an attractive drug target. Virtual screening and three times repeated 100 ns molecular dynamics simulation of the best hits were performed to identify potential SARS-CoV-2 Mpro inhibitors from the available compounds of an antiviral plant Moringa oleifera. Three flavonoids isorhamnetin (1), kaempferol (2) and apigenin (3) showed good binding affinity, stable protein-ligand complexes throughout the simulation time, high binding energy and similar binding poses in comparison with known SARS-CoV-2 Mpro inhibitor baicalein. Therefore, different parts of M. oleifera may be emerged as a potential preventive and therapeutic against COVID-19.
Potentiality of Moringa oleifera against SARS-CoV-2: identified by a rational computer aided drug design method
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/figure/10.1080/07391102.2021.1898475
Beyond being effective, it is also safe. The toxicity of Moringa only occurs at exceptionally high doses.
Toxicity data in humans are limited, although laboratory studies indicate that certain compounds in the bark and roots or their extracts may cause adverse effects when consumed in excess. Supplementation with M. oleifera leaf extract is potentially toxic at levels exceeding 3,000 mg/kg of body weight, but safe at levels below 1,000 mg/kg. M. oleifera may interfere with prescription drugs affecting cytochrome P450 (including CYP3A4) and may inhibit the antihyperglycemic effect of sitagliptin.
Moringa oleifera
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moringa_oleifera
Of course, as stated in the referenced papers, all of this needs clinical verification. However, given the results of the studies, Moringa should prove to be a very valuable resource.
Please remember that the above is a work of medical research and not medical advice. Please consult your Primary Care Provider before using any supplement or drug.
May we all have a blessed and joyful weekend. As always, thank you for your readership, dialog and support.
Moringa (powdered) looks like a dirt collected from the floor :-) It comes from a tree which is often called a Miracle Tree, clearly not a random name. You can grow it indoors (the ideal temperature: 21-35°C) and in your garden. Now is a good time: sow its seeds is from March-May (or July-October), make sure it is well hydrated.
“Moringa seeds have no dormancy period, so they can be planted as soon as they are mature and they will retain the ability to germinate for up to one year. Older seeds will only have spotty germination. Moringa trees will flower and fruit annually and in some regions twice annually. During its first year, a Moringa tree will grow up to five meters in height and produce flowers and fruit. Left alone, the tree can eventually reach 12 meters in height with a trunk 30 cm wide; however, the tree can be annually cut back to one meter from the ground. The tree will quickly recover and produce leaves and pods within easy reach. Within three years a tree will yield 400-600 pods annually and a mature tree can produce up to 1,600 pods.” (https://moringatrees.org/growing-moringa/)
As always, Walt, ❤️! Have the best of week-ends, everyone!! Watch out for those crazy Irish bars!! ☘️ Btw, I would carefully evaluate assessments of herbal products on web. No question exists in my mind that the internet is already, no matter what search engine we use, heavily censored. We've certainly seen this tactic with the atrocious behavior of medical journals in publishing or not Covid research. I am constantly reminded that Big Pharma/WEF types exert enormous control over information. The best response, I think, is still try some of the product if you're interested, but watch your body's reaction very carefully. I think this type of watching is very hard for some people. I only learned very late in life how to watch and observe correctly because I was always overly impressed by someone else's experience or some "scientific" result. Moreover, I've tried one treatment one time with huge success only to try the treatment again at another time to have disastrous results!!! So, different times, different body.