Extract of the plant cat's claw may harbour dengue cure

New Delhi, December 3 : A plant from the Amazon region called the cat's claw has been found to be effective in combating dengue.

Reports appearing in the Brazilian media say that experiments involving an advanced extract of cat's claw (uncaria tomentosa) have shown promise to prevent inflammation caused by dengue fever.

Scientists at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, which is affiliated with the Brazilian Health Ministry, reckon that a new medicine based on this natural extract may be ready shortly.

The researchers have revealed that the substance extracted from the cat's claw directly involves in the production of proteins needed to respond to the inflammatory effect caused by dengue, which manages to prevent the worsening of the disease, reports chinaview.cn.

"This is one of several plants in which we have seen a preliminary result of inhibition of certain inflammatory factors that occur when dengue infects the body," Sonia Kubelka Claire Reis, a researcher of the foundation, said.

Currently, there is no effective medicine to combat dengue fever, whose virus is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. The only recommended treatment is hydration of patients as they recover.

ANI