#3,319 – Antiviral Chewing Gum
May 1, 2025 by Craig Shames
In addition to KFC flavored toothpaste, we may also soon have antiviral chewing gum that may be able to prevent the transmission of the flu and herpes.
Gizmodo explains:
“Here’s something to chew on: antiviral gum. Scientists have developed chewing gum that can safely trap the influenza virus and the viruses that cause herpes, at least in the lab.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Dental Medicine developed the gum, made from bean powder. In various experiments, a protein found in the gum substantially neutered two flu strains and the herpes simplex viruses 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2). The gum could prove to be a potent and easy-to-use tool for preventing the spread of these infections, the researchers say.
The Penn researchers have been working on antiviral gum for some time now. Several years ago, they developed gum from plant-based material that could effectively trap SARS-CoV-2—the cause of covid-19—in people’s saliva. Their latest creation relies on a similar approach but uses a different plant that’s native to sub-Saharan Africa and commonly eaten in tropical areas: Lablab purpureus, also known as the lablab bean. Past research has shown that the lablab bean naturally carries a protein that can bind to a wide variety of viruses. This protein is called Flt3 Receptor Interacting Lectin, or FRIL for short.
The researchers incubated samples of influenza, along with HSV-1 and HSV-2, with FRIL, finding that it could neutralize the viruses with sufficiently high doses. They also used a mechanical mouth to chew the gum and measure if enough FRIL would be released during chewing to reach these levels. They found that a two-gram gum tablet containing 40 milligrams of bean powder was sufficient to reduce the viral load of these viruses by over 95%.”
Some people may be hesitant to wear masks or get vaccinated, but everyone loves gum. If this research continues to bear fruit, we may have a safe and effective way to combat the spread of diseases in an easy way that everyone would be comfortable with.
Is AntiViral Chewing Gum the Greatest Idea Ever?