The Star, 2 March, 2007

Plant extract find in dengue

KUALA LUMPUR: The fight against dengue fever has moved another step forward.  

Although not yet able to produce a dengue antiviral, researchers from University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) have managed to formulate a plant extract that has the potential for controlling the dengue virus replication process at a clinical study stage.  

“In the first phase of the research in 2004, we conducted an in vitro experiment where the plant extract was tested on cells which had been inoculated with the dengue virus,” UM Medical Faculty Microbiology Department head Prof Sazaly Abu Bakar told a press conference yesterday. 

He said in phase two in 2005, albino mice were used as animal models to see the effect of the extract on the dengue virus replication, and to see if there were toxic effects on the mice. 

The extract, DENGIMM2, demonstrated a potential to control the virus replication with no toxic effect.  

The research project entitled 'Evaluation of Antiviral Potentials of a Constituted Local Plant Extract against Dengue Virus', was a collaboration between UMMC and Autoimmune Sdn Bhd and had hoped to find an alternative treatment for dengue fever through medical means using local plant formulations.  

He added that although dengue has long been a threat to Malaysians, up to now there was still no known vaccine or anti-virus in the world for the endemic disease.  

“We still need to do a lot more research to see if it has carcinogenic effects, and if it has any long-term toxic effects,” Prof Sazaly said.