BOSTON, Feb. 6 (UPI) -- The flavonoid that gives grapefruit its bitter taste -- naringin -- may slow the progression of infection by hepatic C virus, or HCV, a U.S. study finds.
The study, published in Hepatology, suggests combining naringin, which is metabolized into naringenin -- an antioxidant previously reported to help lower cholesterol -- may help clear HCV out of the liver.
The researchers report that HCV is bound to the so-called "bad" cholesterol -- very low-density lipoprotein or vLDL -- and travels along with the vLDL when it is secreted from liver cells.
"By finding that HCV is secreted from infected cells by latching onto vLDL, we have identified a key pathway in the viral life cycle," lead study author Yaakov Nahmias of Massachusetts General Hospital said in a statement.
"These results suggest that lipid-lowering drugs, as well as supplements, such as naringenin, may be combined with traditional antiviral therapies to reduce or even eliminate HCV from infected patient."
This approach might eventually be used to treat patients who do not respond to or cannot take traditional interferon-based treatment or be used in combination with other agents to boost success rates, senior author Dr. Raymond Chung, of Massachusetts General Hospital said.
