Researchers at Saga University say they have isolated a substance from seaweed that could fight the flu virus with a smaller dosage than existing medication and with fewer side effects.
The study, led by Yuto Kamei, a Saga University assistant professor who specializes in marine biotechnology, could pave the way for developing new influenza drugs that are more potent and less likely to cause side effects.
The Kamei team said it has isolated the flu-fighting substance from sargassum piluliferum, a type of inedible marine algae found along nearly all the coasts of Honshu.
Through a series of in vitro experiments with type-A influenza virus, the team found that the substance, known as MC26, is capable of eliminating about 50 percent of flu viruses with about a third of the dose required in conventional flu medicine amantadine hydrochloride.