Bergamottin, a bioactive component of bergamot, inhibits SARS-CoV-2 infection in golden Syrian hamsters

作者：Zhou, Minmin; Liu, Yang; Cao, Junyuan; Dong, Siqi; Hou, Yuxia; Yu, Yan; Zhang, Qiuyan; Zhang, Yueli; Jia, Xiaoying; Zhang, Bo; Xiao, Gengfu; Li, Gang; Wang, Wei^*

来源：Antiviral Research, 2022, 204: 105365.

DOI：10.1016/j.antiviral.2022.105365

• SARS-CoV-2
• Natural products
• Antiviral
• Inhibitor
• Bergamottin

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused an ongoing pandemic, coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), which has become a major global public health event. Antiviral compounds remain the predominant means of treating COVID-19. Here, we reported that bergamottin, a furanocoumarin originally found in bergamot, exhibited inhibitory activity against SARS-CoV-2 in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo. Bergamottin interfered with multiple stages of virus life cycles, specifically blocking the SARS-CoV-2 spike-mediated membrane fusion and effectively reducing viral RNA synthesis. Oral delivery of bergamottin to golden Syrian hamsters at dosages of both 50 mg/kg and 75 mg/kg reduced the SARS-CoV-2 load in nasal turbinates and lung tissues. Pathological damage caused by viral infection was also ameliorated after bergamottin treatment. Overall, our study provides evidence of bergamottin as a promising natural compound, with broad-spectrum anti-coronavirus activity, that could be further developed in the fight against COVID-19 infection during the current pandemic.

• 单位
  中国科学院研究生院; 南开大学; 南方医科大学