Experimental food product shown to alleviate dengue symptoms
A food product consumed continuously for two months was shown to reduce main symptoms of dengue fever, according to a joint clinical trial by the Japanese Kirin Central Research Institute, part of Kirin Holdings Co. Ltd. (Kirin Holdings), and the University of Malaya (UM), Malaysia. The product, known as the Lactococcus lactis strain plasma (LC-Plasma), is a type of functional food ingredient made to help maintain the immune system.
LC Plasma’s effectiveness at suppressing dengue fever-like symptoms, including muscle and joint pain, proves its potential to provide a solution to the global issue of dengue, which so far has no definitive cure.
Research performed by the Kirin Central Research Institute at Kirin Holdings and UM’s Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Center (TIDREC) on LC-Plasma against dengue fever was conducted from December 2019 to February 2020. During this time, approximately 100 healthy adults of Malaysian nationality living in dengue infection cluster areas near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, were asked to take a tablet containing LC-Plasma (approximately 100 billion cells) or a placebo for 8 weeks, and symptoms were measured.
Results showed that LC-Plasma significantly reduced the cumulative number of days participants reported dengue fever-like symptoms such as headache, joint pain, and pain behind the eyes – these suggest that LC-Plasma, a food product, can help alleviate the symptoms and prevent the severity of the disease (the only other option currently available for dengue fever is coping therapy).
Kirin Holdings has explained that LC-Plasma mainly works by stimulating the body’s defense against viral infections through activation of plasmacytoid dendritic cells; the dendritic cells are important to mount an immune response. LC-Plasma activates the command center of antiviral immunity and has been shown to contribute to the prevention of a wide range of viral infections other than the dengue fever.
In previous clinical trials, LC-Plasma reduced the incidence of influenza as well.
Moving forward, Kirin Holdings and TIDREC will accelerate joint research aiming to verify the antiviral effects of LC-Plasma on other tropical disease viruses. In addition, Kirin Holdings will make LC-Plasma more accessible to more people in Southeast Asia through alliances and business expansion, providing a solution to a major social issue.
Read: Duke-NUS finds cause for vaccine-resistant dengue virus
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