(Press-News.org) Scientists have found that carvacrol – the substance in oregano oil that gives the pizza herb its distinctive warm, aromatic smell and flavour – is effective against norovirus, causing the breakdown of the virus' tough outer coat. The research is published today (12 February) in the Society for Applied Microbiology's Journal of Applied Microbiology.
Norovirus, also known as the winter vomiting disease, is the leading cause of vomiting and diarrhoea around the world. It is particularly problematic in nursing homes, hospitals, cruise ships, and schools, and is a very common cause of foodborne-disease outbreaks. Although the disease is unpleasant, most people recover fully within a few days. But for people with an existing serious medical problem, this highly infectious virus can be dangerous.
Dr Kelly Bright, who led the research at the University of Arizona said "Carvacrol could potentially be used as a food sanitizer and possibly as a surface sanitizer, particularly in conjunction with other antimicrobials. We have some work to do to assess its potential but carvacrol has a unique way of attacking the virus, which makes it an interesting prospect."
Unfortunately the human form of norovirus is nearly impossible to work on in the laboratory so the research has been carried out using the mouse form of the virus, which is considered the most similar in its resistance to antimicrobials and disinfectants.
In the experiments, carvacrol appeared to act directly on the virus capsid – a tough layer of proteins that surrounds the virus – causing it to break down. This would give another antimicrobial the opportunity to enter the internal part of the virus and kill it. So if carvacrol is used as a sanitizer in the future, it's likely to be in conjunction with another antimicrobial. And because it is slower acting than many disinfectants, such as bleach, it would be best used as part of a routine cleaning regimen to provide long-lasting antimicrobial residue on surfaces.
The good news is that because carvacrol acts on the external proteins of the virus, it is unlikely that norovirus would ever develop resistance. It would also be safe, non-corrosive and it won't produce any noxious fumes or harmful by-products. This makes it particularly attractive for use in settings where people are likely to be vulnerable to traditional bleach or alcohol based cleaners, such as schools, hospitals, long-term care facilities, child day-care centres, and drug and alcohol rehabilitation facilities.
The bad news: no amount of pizza could prevent norovirus, and quite apart from other negative health effects of a mainly pizza diet, concentrated carvacrol, although non-toxic, would be quite unpalatable, causing a burning sensation and then numbness of the tongue!
INFORMATION:
Funding for this research came from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Organic Research and Extension Initiative.
Could pizza herb prevent winter vomiting disease?
2014-02-12
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Satellite tracking identifies Atlantic Ocean risk zones for leatherback turtles
2014-02-12
Researchers used data from satellite transmitters attached to the turtles to track their movements across the Atlantic Ocean. These movements were then overlapped with information on high pressure fishing areas to identify where the turtles are most susceptible to becoming entangled and where they may drown.
The international study, jointly led by Dr Matthew Witt of the University of Exeter and Dr Sabrina Fossette of Swansea University, found that urgent international efforts are needed to protect the iconic species.
Between 1995 and 2010, a total of 106 leatherback ...
Three doses of HPV vaccine recommended against genital warts
2014-02-12
Two doses of vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV) provide good protection against genital warts, but three doses is better according to an extensive register study by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. The results are published in the scientific periodical JAMA.
Since 2012, girls in Sweden between the ages of 10 and 18 are offered free vaccination against HPV. The vaccine provides protection against various types of HPV, including some that cause cervical cancer and those that cause genital warts. Current recommendation is three doses of the vaccine ...
Exercise may slow retinal degeneration
2014-02-12
Moderate aerobic exercise helps to preserve the structure and function of nerve cells in the retina after damage, researchers at the Emory Eye Center and the Atlanta VA Medical Center have found.
The findings, from a study of an animal model of age-related macular degeneration, are the first to suggest that aerobic exercise can have a direct effect on retinal health and vision.
The results are scheduled for publication Feb. 12 in the Journal of Neuroscience.
Senior authors are Machelle Pardue, PhD and colleague Jeffrey H. Boatright, PhD at the Atlanta VA Center for ...
Smoking cessation may improve mental health
2014-02-12
Health professionals who treat people with psychiatric problems often overlook their patients' smoking habits, assuming it's best to tackle depression, anxiety or substance abuse problems first. However, new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis shows that people who struggle with mood problems or addiction can safely quit smoking and that kicking the habit is associated with improved mental health.
The study is published online in the journal Psychological Medicine.
"Clinicians tend to treat the depression, alcohol dependence or drug problem ...
Man's best friend equally adapted to high altitudes of Tibet
2014-02-12
As humans have expanded into new environments and civilizations, man's best friend, dogs, have been faithful companions at their sides. Now, with DNA sequencing technology readily available to examine the dog genome, scientists are gaining new insights into canine evolution.
In a new study published in the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution, author Dong-Dong Wu, et. al., explored the genetic basis of high-altitude adaptation of Tibetan Mastiffs, which were originally domesticated from the Chinese native dogs of the plains. The authors examined genome-wide mutations ...
NASA still sees some high thunderstorms in Tropical Cyclone Fobane
2014-02-12
VIDEO:
This TRMM flyover is a simulated 3-D view of Fobane that shows a few powerful thunderstorms near the center were reaching heights of over 14km (~8.7 miles) on Feb. 11....
Click here for more information.
Tropical Cyclone Fobane was located southeast of Reunion Island in the southwest Indian Ocean when the TRMM satellite passed over and captured rainfall and cloud data on the storm. TRMM saw that despite Fobane weakening, there was still some punch left in a few of the thunderstorms ...
Tech products can turn uncool when they become too popular
2014-02-12
In the tech world, coolness takes more than just good looks. Technology users must consider a product attractive, original and edgy before they label those products as cool, according to researchers.
That coolness can turn tepid if the product appears to be losing its edginess, they also found.
"Everyone says they know what 'cool' is, but we wanted to get at the core of what 'cool' actually is, because there's a different connotation to what cool actually means in the tech world," said S. Shyam Sundar, Distinguished Professor of Communications, Penn State, and co-director ...
NIH-funded researchers use antibody treatment to protect humanized mice from HIV
2014-02-12
NIH-funded scientists have shown that boosting the production of certain broadly neutralizing antibodies can protect humanized mice from both intravenous and vaginal infection with HIV. Humanized mice have immune systems genetically modified to resemble those of humans, making it possible for them to become HIV-infected.
Led by David Baltimore, Ph.D., of the California Institute of Technology, the investigators inserted the genes encoding the NIH-discovered broadly HIV neutralizing antibody VRC01 into a vector, a virus that infects mice but does not cause disease. In ...
New evidence shows how chronic stress predisposes brain to mental disorders
2014-02-12
University of California, Berkeley, researchers have shown that chronic stress generates long-term changes in the brain that may explain why people suffering chronic stress are prone to mental problems such as anxiety and mood disorders later in life.
Their findings could lead to new therapies to reduce the risk of developing mental illness after stressful events.
Doctors know that people with stress-related illnesses, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), have abnormalities in the brain, including differences in the amount of gray matter versus white matter. ...
Slim pickings for 2 weight-loss drugs?
2014-02-12
LEBANON, NH (Feb. 10, 2014) – Options are limited in America's battle of the bulge. While diet and exercise can help in the short term, they are frustratingly ineffective in the long run.
And, even the search for a magic weight-loss pill is falling short, said Drs. Steven Woloshin and Lisa Schwartz of The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy & Clinical Practice in the Feb. 10 issue of JAMA Internal Medicine.
Many medications for weight loss have been proposed or are under development. The Federal Drug Administration has approved few drugs for long-term weight loss, ...