A Common Food Additive Comes With A Perk

Research from the University of Illinois shows that a common food additive can block a new strain of avian influenza from infecting healthy cells. Flue viruses can enter cells by using a protein called hemagglutinin that opens receptors on the cell surface. The additive, tert-butyl hydroquinone, acts by binding to a loop shaped region of the hemagglutinin necessary for binding to cells making infection impossible.

The effects on of the compound were studied a new virus strain, H7N9, which broke out in China earlier this year with a mortality rate of 20 percent. The loop on the hemagglutinin of H7N9 was transplanted onto another virus and was tested with tert-butyl hydroquinone. The results were reassuring and the compound was able to prevent the virus from infecting human lung cells. In terms of preventing zoonoses such as bird flu the research offers much promise.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/10/131023183906.htm
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/birdflu.html