Stephen Hsu
Augusta University, USA
Title: Virucidal capacity of novel ProtecTeaV sanitizer formulations containing lipophilic Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate (EGCG)
Biography
Biography: Stephen Hsu
Abstract
Current non-toxic or “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) countermeasures against viral entry into cells in the human body are often inadequate. The objective of this study was to evaluate a novel alcohol-based instant hand sanitizer formulation containing lipophilic EGCG (derived from green tea extract), in comparison to commonly used hand sanitizers either with or without alcohol. Standard 50% Tissue Culture Infective Dose (TCID50) assay was used for determination of virucidal capacity against poliovirus 1 (PV 1). In addition, neutralization by an ultrafiltration method was used to evaluate the mechanism of virucidal capacity. The results demonstrated that lipophilic EGCG formulations (with and without gelling agent) reduced the TCID50 by a factor of 6 (mean log10–reduction of viral infectivity), 100-fold more than the reduction of viral infectivity (>4 log10) mandated by internationally accepted standards. In addition, the virucidal effect of lipophilic EGCG formulations was associated with direct and irreversible inactivation of PV 1, rather than a reversible inhibition mechanism. In contrast, two commonly used instant hand sanitizers failed to reduce PV 1 viral infectivity by >4 log10. In conclusion, lipophilic EGCG instant hand sanitizer formulations possess effective virucidal capability with the potential for use in novel disinfectant and antiseptic approaches, pending additional research and development.