Former INEC chairman, Professor Maurice Iwu, a professor of Pharmacognosy, yesterday, reiterated that a compound in garcinia kola (bitter kola) is a possible cure for ebola, saying that the study is still ongoing.
He said that the kola is an anti-viral product but much more importantly an anti-inflammatory agent, adding that anti-malaria drugs like Artemisinin and others are from a similar plant.
Iwu stated this at a pre-summit briefing for the press and stakeholders for the 3rd Annual Clinical Trials Summit, by the Association of Good Clinical Practice in Nigeria (AGCPN), in collaboration with the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Ministry of Defence Health Implementation Programme, held in Abuja.
“People keep talking about bitter kola, it is not just about the bitter kola itself, it is about the compound that is inside the bitter kola. Also, not many people realise that the anti-malaria drugs of all sorts like Artemisinini, come from a similar plant. The difference in this case is that because it is a Nigerian plant; an African plant, we are not so proud of our own.
“It is an anti-viral product but much more importantly is that it is an anti-inflammatory agent and one of the problems with ebola is that there is this outburst of inflammatory in the body and garcinia compound is able to prevent that inflammation and that is the beauty of it,” he stated.
