Seaweed Derivative May Inhibit H1N1 Virus

TASMANIA, AustraliaIn a breakthrough that offers new hope for the containment of influenza outbreaks, an Australian biotechnology company isolated a natural extract from seaweed that may have the ability to inhibit the H1N1 virus.

The extractMaritech® 926is a fucoidan compound derived from the Undaria pinnatifida species of seaweed. In vitro tests performed under contract by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the United States, have shown Maritech 926 can inhibit the H1N1 influenza virus at extremely low concentrations. 

Developed by biotechnology company Marinova Pty Ltd., Maritech 926 is a natural polysaccharide with market potential in nutritional supplements, hand washes and nasal delivery products that target the spread and prevention of viral conditions. As a result of these findings, Marinova has filed for patent protection over the application of Maritech 926 and other fucoidan extracts in a range of anti-viral applications.