New Formulation Effective against SARS CoV-2 and H1N1

People apply a wide variety of over-the-counter treatments as food supplements against respiratory tract infections. In this study, we investigated the antiviral efficacy of piperine, capsaicin, and glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) against coronaviruses (SARS-CoV-2) and Influenza viruses (H1N1), which are associated with acute respiratory infections. TCID50 concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 and H1N1 isolates were determined. Then, the effectiveness of phytochemicals against these viral isolates at non-toxic concentrations was investigated. For this purpose, the MTT method and RT-PCR techniques were used. Non-toxic concentrations of Capsaicin, Piperine, and GA on Vero cells were determined as 0.625 µg/ml, and Ceramide at 1.25 µg/ml and lower concentrations. It was determined that Capsaicin and Piperine showed very significant antiviral activity against SARS CoV-2 when compared to standard drugs at concentrations of 0.312 µg/ml. The effectiveness of GA was determined to be lower (0.625 µg/ml) than these two phytochemicals. Capsaicin, piperine, and GA exhibited antiviral activity on SARS-CoV-2 and H1N1 viral replication, especially the activity of the combination of capsaicin plus piperine against SARS CoV-2 was stronger than the activity against N1N1 than against H1N1. In addition, it was determined that the triple combination of these components exhibited stronger antiviral activity than single and double combinations, resulting in a significant decrease in the number of viral copies. We think that this new formulation containing three different phytochemical compounds is effective against SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses, which are the most important causes of morbidity and mortality from respiratory tract viruses, and can be effective, especially for prophylactic purposes.