Plant-derived serine protease inhibitor peptides: in vitro antimicrobial and antiviral activities combined with in silico mechanistic insights.
Kamal S, Shahzad A, Kamal A, Rehman K, Bibi I
Medicinal Plants
Garlic and ginger already in your garden beds are quietly producing compounds that can slow the same fungal and viral pathogens that devastate tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers — and now there's lab evidence behind what traditional growers have applied as companion planting and foliar spray for generations.
Researchers took proteins from ginger, garlic, and bitter melon, purified them, and tested what they could do against germs and viruses. These plant proteins slowed the growth of bacteria and a common mold, and they significantly reduced the spread of a plant virus that attacks crops worldwide. The findings suggest these everyday plants aren't just food — they're producing their own natural defense chemicals.
Key Findings
Peptide fractions from ginger, garlic, and bitter melon inhibited Tobacco Mosaic Virus lesion development by 58–86% in leaf assays, depending on format.
Antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger was observed at approximately 4 mg/mL, and antibacterial activity against E. coli and Bacillus thuringiensis was detected in the mg/mL range.
Thrombolytic (clot-dissolving) activity reached up to 42.95% with low hemolytic (red blood cell damage) activity, suggesting a favorable bioactivity profile for further study.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Peptides extracted from three common culinary plants — ginger, garlic, and bitter melon — demonstrated measurable antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties in lab tests, including suppressing lesion spread from Tobacco Mosaic Virus by up to 86%.
Abstract Preview
Plant-based serine protease inhibitors represent a promising class of bioactive compounds with potential therapeutic relevance. In this study, serine protease inhibitor-enriched peptide fractions w...
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