Study Confirms Bitter Kola’s Efficacy For Malaria Treatment

 MALARIA can cause a range of symptoms and life-threatening complications, so an early and accurate diagnosis is crucial. Now, researchers have substantiated the malaria protective effect of daily consumption of bitter kola.

In animal studies, researchers found it demonstrated antimalarial activity and could be considered a readily available and cheap alternative to malaria medicines like chloroquine.

The study which investigated the antimalarial properties of ethanolic extract of bitter kola against Plasmodium berghei in infected Swiss albino mice said its continuous consumption should be for at least four days for its effectiveness.

They said extract of bitter kola seed reduced average daily malaria parasite level in infected mice in a dose-dependent manner and its dose at 400 mg/kg competing favourably with chloroquine, the standard antimalarial drug.

The researchers had made an ethanol extract of bitter kola after chopping its seeds that was peeled into smaller pieces and airdried before finally grinding it into a fine powder using a blender.

The 2020 study in the Asian Journal of Medical Principles and Clinical Practice involved Augustine I. Airaodion at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State in collaboration with John A. Ekenjoku, K. O. Ngwogu and A. C. Ngwogu.

Bitter Kola, commonly called Namiji goro in Hausa, Orogbo in Yoruba and Aku-ilu in Igbo is a masticatory used in traditional medicine, cultural and social ceremonies.

The seeds are used to prevent or relieve colic, cure head or chest colds and relieve cough. The seed also has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antidiabetic and antiviral as well as antiulcer properties.

Sixty Swiss albino mice weighing between 20 and 25 grammes were randomly divided into six groups of 10 mice each. Groups two to six were inoculated with infected blood suspension containing malaria parasite (Plasmodium berghei) while those in group one were not infected and this served as the normal control group.

Animals in group two were administered normal salt solution (negative control), those in group three were administered Chloroquine diphosphate (standard antimalarial drug as positive control), and those in groups four, five and six were administered 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg of the ethanolic seed extract respectively.

All treatments were done 12 hourly for five consecutive days from when parasites were first seen in the infected animal blood. Four days after the treatment was stopped, the animals were weighed and sacrificed.

On each day of treatment and post-treatment, a drop of blood was collected from each mouse to determine how much of the malaria parasite was in their blood. The animals’ packed cell volume (PCV) was tested.
In the study, an extract of bitter kola was observed to have prevented body weight loss linked with increasing level of the malaria parasite.

Body weight loss, fever and anaemia are some features of malaria infection.  Anaemia results from the breakdown of red blood cells due to the infection. Therefore, a potent antimalarial plant should be able to prevent body weight loss in infected mice.

In this study, the packed cell volume (PCV) of malaria-infected mice (negative control) and infected treated with 100 mg/kg of bitter kola showed a significant decrease in PCV after four days of treatment.
This shows that malaria parasite infection significantly reduced red blood cells of animals and treatment with 100 mg/kg of Bitter kola was unable to remedy this situation.

However, treatment with 200 mg/kg, 400 mg/kg of bitter kola seed extract as well as those treated with 5 mg/kg chloroquine (positive control) showed a significant increase in PCV after four days of treatment.

According to the researchers,  the increase in PCV and body weight in mice treated with bitter kola at 200 and 400 mg/kg when compared with the negative control group is suggestive of the ameliorating potency of bitter kola seed extract on the low blood level (anaemia) induced by the malaria parasite in the blood.

The number of malaria parasite level is the major factor in determining malarial infection. In this study, no noticeable difference was observed in the malaria parasite level of all the infected mice after three days of treatment.

However, the difference became noticeable after four days of treatment, suggesting that using this extract for three days might not yield significant antimalarial potency.

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10 Myths And Misconceptions Of Corona Virus In Nigeria

The fear of coronavirus spreading to Africa because of the continent’s close economic ties with China, the epicentre of the deadly outbreak, has become a reality as Nigeria, the continent’s largest population, confirmed its first case a couple of weeks ago and it's second case yesterday.
Nigeria is now the third country in Africa and the 48th globally to confirm a case of the viral disease now known as Covid-19.
Since it originated from Wuhan in China last December, the virus has claimed over 3,000 lives mainly from the Asian country and affected over 80,000 people globally, spreading to six continents.
Nigeria’s first case is an Italian businessman who arrived from Milan while the second case is someone who had contact with the Italian.
He flew into Lagos through the Murtala Muhammad International Airport without his case being detected, stirring memories of six years ago when West Africa’s ebola epidemic hit the chaotic megacity of 21 million.

Back in 2014, during the Ebola epidemic that was fortunately curtailed to only seven casualties, there were a lot of misconceptions and misinformation. They include a widespread rumour that bathing with salt water can prevent Ebola.
This time, also, there has been a lot of myths and false information about coronavirus spreading mostly on social media.
The social networking site, Facebook, has pledged to partner with the Nigerian government to check the spread of fake news and disinformation in the wake of the outbreak in Lagos, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
To check misinformation and fake news about coronavirus, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has exposed 10 myths about the viral disease.
1. Hand dryers are effective in killing the new coronavirus.

No, hand dryers are not effective in killing a virus. The best way to protect yourself is to wash your hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Then use a hand dryer or paper towel to dry your hands.
2. Ultraviolet disinfection lamps kill COVID-19
No, ultraviolet lamps will not kill the virus and they can cause skin irritation.
3. Spraying alcohol or chlorine bleach on yourself can kill the virus.
No. They won’t kill the virus, and they will burn your skin. You can, however, use those substances to clean surfaces in your home or office that could have the virus on them.
4. It’s unsafe to open a package from China.
Yes, it is safe to open it. Coronaviruses do not survive long on objects like letters or packages.
5. I can get the coronavirus from my pet.

According to the WHO, there is no evidence that companion animals such as dogs or cats can be infected with the new coronavirus.

6. The pneumonia vaccine provides protection against COVID-19.
There is no vaccine yet that protects against the coronavirus, including pneumonia viruses. Researchers have said they believe a vaccine for COVID-19 will be available in about a year.
7. Saline rinses help kill the virus.
No. There is no evidence that regularly rinsing your nostrils with saline offers any protection against the new coronavirus.
8. The coronavirus is only dangerous for older people and those who have pre-existing medical conditions.
No, the coronavirus can affect anyone. Older people and those with certain medical conditions appear more vulnerable to the virus, according to the WHO.
9. Antibiotics will help if you get the virus.
No, COVID-19 is a virus. Antibiotics do not work against viruses.
10. Medicine given after the virus can cure it.
There is no vaccine or mention to prevent coronavirus, although cases have been successfully treated.

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Corona Virus: Italy Quarantines 16 Million People

Nigerians who want to travel Italy have been advise to put their visit on hold as the outbreak of Corona Virus has taken a new dimension in that country. Italy has placed up to 16 million people under quarantine as it battles to contain the spread of coronavirus.

Anyone living in Lombardy and 14 other central and northern provinces will need special permission to travel. Milan and Venice are both affected.

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte also announced the closure of schools, gyms, museums, nightclubs and other venues across the whole country.

The measures, the most radical taken outside China, will last until 3 April.

Italy has seen the largest number of coronavirus infections in Europe, with the number of confirmed cases jumping by more than 1,200 to 5,883 on Saturday

The strict new quarantine measures affect a quarter of the Italian population and centre on the rich northern part of the country that powers its economy.

The death toll in Italy has passed 230, with officials reporting more than 36 deaths in 24 hours.

The health system is under immense strain in Lombardy, a northern region of 10 million people, where people are being treated in hospital corridors.

“We want to guarantee the health of our citizens. We understand that these measures will impose sacrifices, sometimes small and sometimes very big,” Prime Minister Conte said as he announced the measures in the middle of the night.

Under the new measures, people are not supposed to be able to enter or leave Lombardy, where Milan is the main city.

The same restrictions apply to 14 provinces: Modena, Parma, Piacenza, Reggio Emilia, Rimini, Pesaro and Urbino, Alessandria, Asti, Novara, Verbano Cusio Ossola, Vercelli, Padua, Treviso and Venice.

“There will be no movement in or out of these areas, or within them, unless for proven, work-related reasons emergencies or health reasons,” Mr Conte told reporters.

“We are facing an emergency, a national emergency. We have to limit the spread of the virus and prevent our hospitals from being overwhelmed.”

However, transport in and out of the regions affected continues. Flights continued to arrive at Milan’s Malpensa and Linate airports on Sunday, though some scheduled flights were cancelled.

Weddings and funerals have been suspended, as well as religious and cultural events. Cinemas, night clubs, gyms, swimming pools, museums and ski resorts have been closed.

People have been told to stay at home as much as possible, and those who break the quarantine could face three months in jail.

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Third-Hand Smoke May convey Hazardous Chemicals

Researchers from United States  have raised the alarm over the impact of third-hand smoke, saying hazardous compounds from cigarette smoke that cling to smokers’ bodies could be released into non-smoking environment, thereby exposing people nearby to the adverse effects of cigarettes.

According to the findings of a new study, published in the journal ‘Science Advances,’ third-hand smoke could travel in large quantities into indoor, non-smoking environments by way of humans.

The research suggested that even if someone is in a room where no one has smoked, that person could still be exposed to many of the hazardous chemical compounds that make up cigarette smoke, depending on who else had entered the room or previously visited it.

Third-hand smoke is described as the residual contamination from cigarette smoking that adheres to walls and other surfaces in places where smoking has previously occurred. Professor Drew Genter, a researcher in the study said, “People are substantial carriers of third-hand smoke contaminants to other environments. So, the idea that someone is protected from the potential health effects of cigarette smoke because they’re not directly exposed to second-hand smoke is not the case.” Yale’s Gentner is an associate professor of chemical & environmental engineering at the University. On his part, Roger Sheu, a Ph.D. student in Gentner’s lab and lead author of the study, said, “Despite regulations preventing people from smoking indoors, near entryways, and near air intakes, hazardous chemicals from cigarette smoke are still making their way indoors.”

The amount of these hazardous and reactive gases wasn’t trivial, the research team said. The gas emissions were equal to that of being exposed to one to 10 cigarettes of secondhand smoke in a one-hour period, they noted, the ‘Mailonline’ reported. The researchers said that the chemicals don’t remain entirely in the air, but are also adsorbed onto various surfaces and furnishings, just as it does with thirdhand smoke contamination in places where smoking has occurred. Similarly, they also found a predominance of nitrogencontaining compounds from cigarettes, which would have migrated from people to other indoor surfaces. “In particular, we noticed that nicotine was the most prominent compound by far,” said co-author Jenna Ditto, a Ph.D. student in Gentner’s lab.

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Banknotes Could Transmit Corona Virus - WHO

As public health officials around the world battle to contain the spread of coronavirus, the World Health Organization has warned that banknotes may transmit the disease. “We know that money changes hands frequently and can pick up all sorts of bacteria and viruses,” a WHO spokesman told the Telegraph. “We would advise people to wash their hands after handling banknotes, and avoid touching their face.” The spokesman also advises using contactless payment options wherever possible, to minimise the risk.

“The primary transmission route is via droplets,” says Prof Jürgen Haas, the head of infection medicine at the University of Edinburgh. “These droplets are generated by coughing, and can directly infect another person via airborne infection, or by transmission via hands or other surfaces.”

Hass explains that coronavirus can persist on inanimate surfaces for “quite a long time”, although no one knows exactly how long yet, as Covid-19 is so new.

 “The survival time of the virus depends on the surface and the conditions,” says Haas. “The lower the temperature, the longer the survival time. If the temperature is warmer, the survival time of the virus goes down.” The viability of the virus will decrease during this time, reducing the risk of transmission.

Although coronavirus can be transmitted via inanimate objects, the odds of contracting it in this way are low. “The amount of virus that is potentially on an inanimate object is usually very small,” says Dr Christine Tait-Burkard, an expert in infection and immunity at the Roslin Institute at the University of Edinburgh. She explains that there typically wouldn’t be much coronavirus on a person’s fingertips, and it would still have to get past your respiratory system to infect you. “Your respiratory system is very good at filtering out viruses,” Tait-Burkard says.

While the risk is low, it is sensible to take precautions. Official NHS advice is to wash your hands regularly (or use hand sanitiser with at least 60% alcohol content, if you are not able to get to a sink), cough into your elbow and dispose of used tissues immediately. But which objects pose the greatest risk of coronavirus transmission?

Banknotes

Banknotes can carry the coronavirus. But try not to be too alarmed: the risk is small. “Unless someone is using a bank note to sneeze in,” Tait-Burkard says. Don’t worry too much about loose change. “Coins are actually very bad environments for viruses to survive,” she says.

Door handles

Touching these is often unavoidable, and a lot of different people may do so, so be mindful of where you are touching the handle and wash your hands frequently to combat this.

Office kitchens

Coffee machines or kettles will be handled by multiple people, so it’s a good idea to use hand sanitiser after doing the tea round.

ATMs or ticket machines

“If you’re withdrawing money from a machine, that’s also something that’s going to be touched by many people,” says Haas. Ditto ticket machines.

Handrails

Escalators, tube handrails, banisters – all will be touched constantly, potentially by thousands of people a day. “If you’re on public transport, there’s no way not to touch the handrails,” says Tait-Burkard. “So when you get off, disinfect your hands.”

Communal bathroom surfaces

“People often blow their noses in the bathroom,” Tait-Burkard observes.

Hospital surfaces

“Shaking hands is a frequent transmission route for disease in hospitals,” says Haas. “It’s why health personnel are supposed to regularly disinfect their hands.” If you are visiting someone in hospital, or have an appointment, wash your hands thoroughly before and after visiting.

Telephones

Less of a problem in the age of smartphones, but if you share an office phone, it is something to consider.

Airplane seats

“International travel is a risk factor for transmission,” says Tait-Burkard. So make like Naomi Campbell, and wipe down your seat pre-takeoff.

Anything in a GP surgery

“The public health advice is that you should call NHS 111, rather than go to your GP, if you fear you have coronavirus,” says Tait-Burkard. “But there will be some people who go to the GP, despite the advice. So there is a higher risk.” She points out that all GP surgeries usually provide free hand disinfectant – so take advantage of what is on offer, and apply it liberally.

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Skin-Lightening Creams Could Damage Health

Consumers have been cautioned  to steer clear of skin- lightening creams over the danger they pose to the populace using them.

According to the Local Government Association in the United Kingdom (UK), which issued the warning, skin lightening creams should be “avoided at all costs,” based on their bleaching agent hydroquinone and their mercury contents, both of which endanger health.

Hydroquinone, described by the LGA as “the biological equivalent of paint stripper”, could remove the top layer of skin, increasing the risk of skin cancer, and causing fatal liver and kidney damage. Mercury could also cause similar life-threatening health problems, the bbc reported.

Unless they were issued on prescription by a doctor, creams containing hydroquinone, steroids or mercury are banned in the UK – because of their potentially serious side-effects.

However, the British Skin Foundation has advised people who have any concerns about their skin to speak to a doctor.

Chairman of the LGA’s Safer and Stronger Communities Board, Simon Blackburn said: “Skin creams containing banned ingredients are very dangerous and could seriously damage your health, scar you for life and even kill you, so they should be avoided at all costs.

“Consumers should always check the ingredients of their skin creams, be suspicious of very low prices, which are likely to indicate the lotion is fake and potentially harmful, and never use a product containing hydroquinone.”

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Too Much Salt Increases Risk Of Weight Gain

Researchers in the United States (US) said the consumption of too much salt may be involved in weight gain.


This is the findings of a new study published in the “The Journal of Clinical Investigation’’.

Traditional thinking has been that salty foods make people drink more water, but the scientists found that it actually reduced thirst and makes people more prone to overeating, weight gain, and even develop metabolic syndrome, which could lead to diabetes and other serious medical conditions.



Previous researches have also associated too much salt with high blood pressure and one way to help control blood pressure is to reduce salt intake.



Considering that people tend to eat more salt than recommended on a daily basis, the research carried out  at Vanderbilt University in Teansee in the United States (US) suggested finding ways to cut back on salt.

Highlighting one of the methods to cut back on salt, the National Kidney Foundation suggested limiting prepared foods with a high salt content.





Packaged foods with high salt content include smoked and cured meats, like frankfurters, frozen dinners, canned meals, salted nuts and seeds.

In addition to packaged and deli meats, some canned and frozen foods, from beans to vegetables, can have very high salt levels, “so, always read labels,” the ‘Newsmaxhealth’ reported, adding that foods that may not be associate with being salty could still have sodium in the ingredients.



To this end, consumers were advised to look for no-salt-added brands and when that’s not possible, rinse the food under cold running water to remove as much salt as possible.

The team advised: “When cooking and seasoning foods, replace salt — including garlic salt and onion salt — with herbs and spices.

“Pure granulated garlic and freeze-dried onions should be acceptable alternatives.”

Furthermore, consumers were advised to ask restaurants or the chef to limit the salt in your food and reach for the pepper, not the salt shaker, if a dish needs more seasoning.

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Purple Onion, Best For Alleviating Blood Pressure — Expert

BY now, we know that garlic and onions reduce cholesterol level, and alleviate diabetes and hypertension. However, a new study expanded on that by saying that purple onion works better in alleviating blood pressure than garlic or white onions.

Benefits of onion and garlic have long been studied for their blood pressure-lowering content in people that have hypertension. They contain chemical substances that exert antidiabetes and antihypertensive properties.

Now, researchers found that purple onion had a higher inhibitory effect on angiotensin converting enzyme than white onion and garlic. Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibits the conversion of angiotensin I to angiotensin II, which is involved in high blood pressure.

Furthermore, white onion had a significantly stronger inhibitory effect on alpha-amylase than garlic and purple onion. Alpha-amylase are enzyme inhibitors that are widely used in the lowering of high blood sugar.

The present study was designed to assess antihypertensive, antidiabetic, and antioxidant properties of water extract of garlic, purple onion, and white onion, which are the most common and readily available Allium species in Africa.

It was to provide insight into some mechanisms by which garlic, purple onion, and white onion could be used in the management of diabetes and high blood pressure.

This 2019 study in the Journal of Dietary Supplements involved Ganiyu Oboh, Adedayo O. Ademiluyi, Odunayo M. Agunloye, Ayokunle Olubode Ademosun and Bolaji Grace Ogunsakin at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria.

The researchers suggested that garlic, white onion, and purple onion exert antidiabetes and antihypertensive properties by an inhibitory effect on ACE, á-amylase, and á-glucosidase coupled with their ability to improve lipid profile.

Onions and garlic are valued herbs endowed with culinary, nutritional, and medicinal value, and they are commonly eaten raw or cooked. Culinary spices such as onions and garlic possess many therapeutic benefits.

Their characteristic strong odour is due largely to sulphur-containing compounds, strongly believed to account for most of the medicinal potential.

The various health properties of garlic and onions have been studied for years. Researchers have looked at how these can help boost absorption of key compounds in common staple foods such as rice and chickpeas.

According to results published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, garlic and onion may boost iron and zinc absorption from cereals seven-fold, so offering opportunities to tackle iron and zinc deficiency, two of the globe’s major concerns.

The bioavailability of both micronutrients is said to be particularly low from plant foods. Fortification of foods with iron poses several challenges, depending on the types of iron used.
In an attempt to enhance the uptake of these minerals from plant sources, the Mysore-based researchers used a model of the gastrointestinal tract to simulate the passage through a human intestine.

Two kinds of cereal – rice and sorghum – and two pulses – chickpea and green gram – were used in their raw and cooked forms, and in the presence of two levels of garlic (0.25 and 0.5 g per 10 g of grain) and onion (1.5 and 3 g per 10 g of grain).

Results showed that iron and zinc uptakes from both cooked and raw kinds of cereal were significantly increased in the presence of both garlic and onion, with increases up to 70 per cent recorded.

Improvements in the bioaccessibility of zinc were also observed for both spices, with increases in cereals ranging from 10.4 to 159.4 per cent, and in pulses from 9.8 to 49.8 per cent.

Previously, preliminary data from a study with mice indicate that supplementing the diet with onion and extracts from the vegetable may protect the brain from additional damage linked to stroke.

This study that provides extra motivation for the consumption of onions and published in the peer-reviewed journal Nutrition, suggest that onion extract may be a beneficial nutrient for the prevention of ischemic damage (blood-brain barrier), and that the underlying mechanisms may include, at least in part, its antioxidant effects.

Consumption of a cholesterol-rich diet can lead to the formation of cholesterol gallstones (CGS). But supplementation of this diet with garlic and onion reduced the incidence of the gallstones, according to findings published in the British Journal of Nutrition.

Eighty per cent of gallstones is cholesterol-related. They occur when cholesterol hardens and this then blocks bile ducts. A diet high in cholesterol is reported to be a potential cause of gallstones. Symptoms include pain, nausea, and clay-coloured stools.

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Why Eating Yogurt Daily Could Reduce Lung Cancer Risk

Scientists in the United States (US) said eating a cup of yogurt daily may reduce the risk of developing lung cancer. According to the findings of a new study published in ‘JAMA Oncology,’ eating a daily serving of yogurt lowered the risk of lung cancer by 20 per cent, compared to those who didn’t yogurt every day. Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma, is a malignant lung tumour characterised by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. This growth can spread beyond the lung by the process of metastasis into nearby tissue or other parts of the body. Eating a high fibre diet also lowered the risk of the disease by 15 per cent.

In addition, the study showed that people who ate a serving of yogurt a day – along with a high fiber diet – were able to lower their risk of lung cancer by more than 30 per cent. Previous studies have shown some probiotics, live bacteria found in yogurt, have anti-inflammatory and cancer-fighting properties.

The researchers believe the benefits come from prebiotics found in a high fiber diet and probiotics found in yogurt. Prebiotics are a kind of fibre that is indigestible by the human body, and are food for probiotics, which are live bacteria and yeasts. Both prebiotics and probiotics promote digestive health, gastrointestinal health and a healthy immune system. Some probiotic strains have been found to prevent lung cancer growths as well as anti-tumour and anti-inflammatory properties. Further research will however be needed to confirm this hypothesis, the team said. The researchers examined 10 cohort studies from the US, Europe, and Asia involving more than 1.44 million people. Similarly, they analysed the participants’ intakes of dietary fiber and yogurt, and then tracked how many of those patients developed lung cancer.

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How Herbal Remedy Could Help In The Future Treatment Of Hypertension - Experts

People have used herbs as medicine for thousands of years. Today, with medical researchers continually hunting for better alternative treatments, some are revisiting these remedies. A recent study looks at herbs that people believe can treat hypertension.

Lavender was one of the plants that the scientists tested in the recent study. Currently, hypertension affects an estimated one in three adults in the United States.

Although dietary and lifestyle changes can sometimes be sufficient, medication is necessary in some cases.

Antihypertensive medications work well for some people but not for others, and the side effects can be unpleasant.

For these reasons, researchers are keen to find innovative ways to tackle the growing issue of hypertension.

Some scientists are turning back the clock and looking to ancient herbal remedies. Humans have been self-medicating with the herbs that they find since before history began.

The fact that people have used these treatments for millennia is certainly not evidence that they are effective, but they are surely worth a second look.

Researchers from the University of California, Irvine recently zeroed in on a group of plants that have, historically, been a treatment for hypertension. They published their findings in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The scientists took herbal extracts from a diverse range of unrelated plants, including lavender, fennel seed extract, basil, thyme, marjoram, ginger, and chamomile.

Under the leadership of Professor Geoff Abbott. they identified a bioactive trait that all of the extracts shared. This trait, the scientists believe, might help explain why some herbs appear to have mild antihypertensive properties.

Specifically, they found that these herbs activate a particular potassium channel called KCNQ5. This potassium channel and others are present in the vascular smooth muscles — the muscles that line blood vessels.

When vascular smooth muscles contract, blood pressure increases; when they relax, blood pressure drops. The activation of KCNQ5 results in the relaxation of these muscles. The authors think that this might help explain some herbs’ antihypertensive properties.

“We found KCNQ5 activation to be a unifying molecular mechanism shared by a diverse range of botanical hypotensive folk medicines.”

The researchers also tested a range of other plants that research has not shown to reduce blood pressure, such as wheatgrass and parsley. In these cases, they found no activation of KCNQ5.

When they compared plant species, the researchers found differing levels of KCNQ5 activity. “Lavandula angustifolia, commonly called lavender, was among those we studied,” Professor Abbot explains. “We discovered it to be among the most efficacious KCNQ5 potassium channel activators, along with fennel seed extract and chamomile.”

Next, the scientists drilled down to determine which plant compound is responsible for activating the potassium channel.

They isolated a chemical called aloperine, which is an alkaloid. In a further set of experiments, they demonstrated that aloperine opens KCNQ5 by binding to the foot of the potassium channel.

Interestingly, current medications do not target the KCNQ5 channel. Spotting this gap in the drug market, Professor Abbott hopes that the “discovery of these botanical KCNQ5-selective potassium channel openers may enable development of future targeted therapies for diseases including hypertension.”

Of course, the road that runs between identifying a mechanism and getting a drug to market is long. It is also worth noting that the KCNQ group of receptors are relative newcomers and, as such, scientists do not yet know the full range of their functions.

However, because hypertension is so widespread, and because it increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases, such as stroke, there is likely to be significant interest in taking these ideas to the next stage.

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