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The taste enhancer in soy sauce will help in the treatment of HIV
Last reviewed: 17.10.2021
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Throughout the time of the development of science, specialists have studied the properties of various plants, products, etc. In search of new medicines. For example, penicillin was obtained from mold fungus, and quinine, used to treat malaria, was obtained from their cinchona tree.
Now, experts continue to study the properties of products and plants, and recently a group of scientists announced unusual properties of soy sauce - the famous Japanese seasoning for sushi and many other Asian dishes.
As shown by numerous studies, one of the components of this sauce, namely the flavor enhancer EFdA has a strong antiviral effect.
In one of the Mussoorian universities, after a series of experiments, experts determined that the compound EFdA, which is part of the flavor enhancer and flavor for soy sauce, can be used as an effective antiviral agent, which, according to experts, can be used to treat HIV. However, the ability of the taste enhancer to suppress viruses was a few years ago one of the first producers of this seasoning, by Yamasa. The company's specialists found that it resembles one of the drugs used in HIV therapy in its properties. The EFdA flavor enhancer may be more effective than modern agents for treating HIV patients (for example, tenofovir, a combination of two antiviral drugs, to which resistance develops in HIV-positive patients).
By the way, both tenofovir and EFdA are related to nucleoside inhibitors, which block the reproduction of the virus. According to the principle of action, these compounds participate in the construction of a new DNA for the propagation of the virus. Inhibitors in the construction of DNA replace the viral molecules with their own, which leads to the blocking of the development of the virus in the body. In other words, the inhibitors stop copying the DNA chain, and when the compounds get into the DNA structure, the virus is killed.
Specialists have determined that the compound from soy sauce EFdA is more easily activated by cells and is broken down by the kidneys and the liver rather slowly, in contrast to tenofovir. It is this property which distinguishes the EFdA connection among others.
Scientists tested the EFdA compound on monkeys that were infected with the immunodeficiency virus. The condition of the animals at the beginning of the experiment was critical, they were, apathetic, listless and scientists planned to put animals to sleep. However, after the EFdA compound was introduced, their well-being improved within a month, the monkeys became mobile, playful and looked quite happy, in addition, the concentration of the virus in the blood decreased to the minimum (it was practically not detectable in the animals).
At this stage, the EFdA compound is tested by one of the largest pharmaceutical companies as a drug for HIV treatment.
Soy sauce is produced in Japan since 1600. About a quarter of a century ago, manufacturers began to look for ways to improve the taste of seasoning. In 2001, researchers determined that the EFdA compound, which enhances the taste and aroma of the sauce, also has antiviral properties, but at that time all studies were stopped.