Using advanced analytical methods and a rigorous, bioassay‑guided approach, the research team demonstrated that the antiviral activity did not originate from isoquercitrin itself, but rather from two previously unknown triterpenoid compounds.
Though present at only 0.4 per cent of the analyzed extract, these newly identified molecules, named dicitriosides, proved to be up to 25 times more active than the original extract against Ebola virus and SARS‑CoV‑2 under experimental conditions.
As such, they illustrated the efficacy at pharmacologically achievable concentrations.
“This discovery illustrates how compounds present in vanishingly small amounts in nature can have major therapeutic potential,” said Mbikay. “It also underscores the importance of carefully examining the true composition of natural products used in biomedical research.”
“Although this work is still at the preclinical stage, it opens promising avenues for the discovery of new broad‑spectrum antivirals derived from natural products,” the scientists state in their study.
“No one knows when the next pandemic will occur, but one thing is certain: we must be prepared,” added Chrétien.
“These results demonstrate the importance of long‑term fundamental research and international collaboration in anticipating the public-health challenges of the future.”