plant extract that helps fight influenza viruses
three major flu epidemics in the past called for century, countless deaths: the English flu in 1918, at the end of World War I, at least 25 million, the Asian flu 1957/58 and 1968/69, the Hong Kong flu, each with 1 million dead.
flu hospital in Kansas, USA (1918) Source: Wikipedia
came in 1997 for the first time the bird flu, a viral infection in humans takes place very often fatal before the Unfortunately a flu shot does not protect, but fortunately (so far) is difficult to be transmitted to humans. It is feared at any time the occurrence of avian influenza virus variant , like other influenza viruses also, slightly droplet infection is transmitted to humans. This could happen if a person is simultaneously infected with a "normal" flu virus and the avian flu virus (H5N1). This could occur through a recombination of genetic material both viruses, a new super-flu virus, which is just as deadly as the old bird flu virus and as easily transferable as a "normal" flu virus.
created four ways like a super flu virus could ...
(HA helps in docking of the flu virus to the host cells;
the enzyme neuraminidase prevented by the multiplication of influenza viruses
her bonding with each other and with the host cell, RNA = ribonucleic acid
is the genetic material influenza viruses) Source: Star online
No wonder that there is great interest in new drugs against influenza virus types. For the systematic search for new drugs was a surprising discovery ...
The Siegfried Loeffler-Institut, Federal Institute for Animal Health, is concerned for some time with the bird flu. In their Tübingen Institute of Immunology substances are tested for their effectiveness against avian influenza viruses. Such is an extract of the hairy gray Rockrose (Cistus incanus ), a Mediterranean shrub Headquartered plant.
Grey Hairy rock rose (Cistus incanus ) Source: Wikipedia
first tests with cell cultures (dog kidney cells) were performed. Part of the cell cultures was first with the Zistusextrakt sprayed, not another part. Then, 20 minutes later, both groups were sprayed with bird flu viruses. The cell cultures who had the get Zistusextrakt survived, the rest cell cultures from died. The same results had also been before with other conventional influenza viruses. The researchers repeated the experiments with mice now receiving the Zistusextrakt as aerosol or not, then on the nose, each with different influenza viruses including the bird flu virus were infected. The unprotected animals developed few Days later, heavy and over half died. Protected by the Zistusextrakt animals remained healthy, even with repeated attempts, no development of resistance of influenza viruses was observed.
Technical support comes from researchers at the Berlin Charité. In a controlled study with 80 subjects who were suffering from infections in the throat, nose and throat, we achieved "good results" in treating the Zistus extract. In 75 percent of the participants was an improvement or even cure. The
Zistusextrakt is rich in polyphenols , some of which probably necessary for infection of target cells, docking of the Flu Virus . Prevent The flu virus can thus no longer penetrate into target cells (host cells), these reprogrammed and thus at the service of its propagation. This is a completely new operating principle against influenza viruses, because the other flu drugs such as oseltamivir ( Tamiflu (R)) engage until much later in the process multiplication of influenza viruses. They prevent Neuramidasehemmer as the parting of the already increased influenza viruses from their host cells. It seems that only certain the polyphenols, which are typical of the gray-haired Rockrose , antiviral are effective. Other extracts also rich in polyphenols are, such as extracts of other Z istus species, sage and green tea had only weakly or not at all.
According to this extraordinarily successful animal experiments clinical trials now under way.
Jens Christian Heuer
Sources:
German Apotheker Zeitung, 21.12.2006 Nr.51/52
Der Spiegel online ( h ttp: / / www.spiegel.de / science / human / 0,1518,396403,00. html)
Bayerischer Rundfunk Munich report, broadcast on 24/10/2005
star online ( http://www.stern.de/wissenschaft/natur/506201. html )
Friday, December 8, 2006
Liquid water found on Mars
photos of the unmanned U.S. space probe Mars Global Surveyor ", which for 10 years orbiting our neighboring planet Mars show fresh gutter on some crater walls that may have arisen only recently, since 5 years ago they have not taken pictures showed. date had been water on Mars just as ice or vapor in the Atmosphere found.
Our solar system with the inner planets Mercury,
Venus, Earth and Mars (right), the outer planets
Jupiter, Saturn Uranus , Neptune and Pluto (left)
and the asteroid belt between Source: Wikipedia
Mars Global Surveyor circles for 10 years at Mars (NASA)
Researchers led by Michael Malin first discovered
gutters in many slopes on Mars and suspects that they originate from water that was running down the slopes - In 2001, NASA had. But you knew not how old the gutters were. It was also considered as an alternative explanation also dust avalanches considered. But the form of the now newly discovered gutters clearly speaks for water, because the channels are at their end finger-like branches and "flow" around obstacles.
crater without (left image August 1999) and the crater rim with
"fresh" trough (right image September 2005) Source: NASA
The bright color of the can newly discovered gutters be explained by the that the water was barely makes it to the surface, is already frozen. Perhaps the water but also because of low atmospheric pressure on Mars evaporates quickly and has a salt crust left.
frozen over water or salt crust of
already evaporated water? Source: NASA
The water is now found probable groundwater that erupts from time to hang out. It must be heat sources in the Martian soil, keep the water liquid, because on the surface of Mars, it is usually bitterly cold.
Liquid water is a crucial prerequisite for life on Mars.
in early 2004, the European Mars probe Mars Express "and the U.S. Mars probe Mars Odyssey " the hope of life on Mars inspired when they discovered in the Martian atmosphere, methane gas . methane, a greenhouse gas on Earth is mainly of methane-producing bacteria . Under Martian conditions, it decomposes within decades because of Mars has no ozone layer and thus exposed to the sun's ultraviolet radiation exposure is must therefore be produced on Mars somewhere, constantly new methane. The methane in the Martian atmosphere is not uniformly distributed. One finds rather in regions with lots of water ice in the bottom of it very much.
There are also a lot of water vapor. It is probable, that the methane and water vapor coming from the same sources. Perhaps there is in the underground of Mars well-protected areas where methane-producing bacterial colonies that are similar to those on earth, can actually survive thanks to heat and liquid water?
Jens Christian Heuer (own report)
Sources:
NASA ( http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/mars/news/mgs-20061206.html )
ESA ( http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM9E51XDYD_Germany_2.html )
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