Several Bulgarian scientific organizations have joined forces to prove the efficacy of the stone lotus plant (Graptopetalum paraguayense) in the treatment of influenza viruses and coronaviruses.

The research started in 2017, after Bulgarian Academy of Sciences researchers found out that the plant had a healing effect on conjunctivitis and herpes. They then decided to go further and study the healing properties of stone lotus against influenza viruses.

After the outbreak of the pandemic they focused specifically on researching the plant’s effect on human coronavirus, which is in the same family of RNA viruses as Covid-19. The effect was not as strong as for herpes and influenza viruses, but it was good enough - the activity suppressing viral replication was over 63%.

Currently, the project involves scientists from the Institutes of Organic Chemistry, Microbiology and General and Inorganic Chemistry of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, and researchers from the National Center of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases and the Agrobiological Institute of the Agricultural Academy.

More about the plant and the direction in which scientists are working - see the publication:

Compiled by: Gergana Mancheva

English: Elizabeth Radkova