A recent scientific study has shown that pomelo contains substances that help fight viral infections in the body and reduce inflammation.
Researchers studied extracellular vesicles, which are very small vesicles used by plants to transport biologically active substances, and used vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) to see its effects on them. This virus is commonly used to study the mechanisms of viral infection. Among several types of plant vesicles, molecules extracted from pomelo fruit showed the strongest antiviral effect, both in experiments on cells and on laboratory animals.
Analysis of the composition of the vesicles extracted from the pomelo revealed a natural compound called penicillic acid. This substance was found to inhibit viral replication and, at the same time, reduce the production of inflammatory molecules IFN-β and IL-6, which, when activated, can cause damage to body tissues. Researchers believe this effect is related to the effect on the GSK3β/STAT1 signaling pathway, which is involved in the action of innate immunity.
The researchers emphasize that the work is still in its early stages and that the results require further verification; however, the data show that the components of pomelo fruit could form a potential basis for new antiviral and anti-inflammatory drugs.
