Bananas are able to help prevent HIV infection

Scientists from the University of Michigan have discovered the useful properties of bananas that can fight HIV infection, the virus that causes AIDS.

This is information released by the British Associated Press on March 15.

By a series of experiments, scientists have shown that a cheap drug made on the basis of a chemical called Banlec in bananas, could help save millions of lives.

Scientists have determined that Banlec - a lectin protein found in bananas, also acts as some current anti-HIV drugs. These special proteins are able to slow the spread of HIV by preventing the entry of this virus into the body.

The main problem of some anti-HIV drugs is that the virus is mutable and resistant, however, this ability weakens when lectin is present. Lectin can bind to sugars in different areas of primary viral membranes and perhaps to overcome these lectins, the virus must have some mutations.

Now scientists are developing a method of gradually adapting Banlec to be used in treatment - either alone or with other anti-HIV drugs.