Health & Wellness / Besuto Qlears

Editorial team

Mahidol University, Biotech, and partners develop ‘Nasal Spray’ containing natural extracts to help fight against Covid-19, H1N1 and RSV

Mahidol University’s Faculty of Tropical Medicine together with the National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (Biotec) have joined with Quantum Biotech Co., Ltd. and Healthlead Plc to officially launch “Besuto Qlears,” the first-of-its-kind nasal spray containing citrus extracts to fight respiratory tract infection.

This citrus extract-based spray has been proven to be ‘effective’ in inhibiting viruses that cause respiratory tract infections, including SARs-COV-2 that causes Covid-19; H1N1, one of several flu virus strains that can cause the seasonal flu; and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) that causes cold-like symptoms commonly in children.

The spray has also undergone toxicity testing by Mahidol University’s Faculty of Tropical Medicine and has been shown to be ‘safe.’

“Besuto Qlears” was developed through the joint efforts of Mahidol University’s Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Biotec, Quantum Biotech Co., Ltd., and Healthlead Plc. It was built on the findings of the research study: A Citrus Peel Waste Biorefinery for High-Quality Limonene Production, under the Innovation Technology Assistance Program (ITAP), supported by the National Science and Technology Development Agency of Thailand (NSTDA).

It responds to the Thai government’s Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) Economic Model strategy that aims to turn the country into a value-based and innovation-driven economy while promoting investments in the country’s four new S-curve industries, namely food and agriculture; bioenergy, biomaterial, and biochemical; medical and wellness; and tourism and creative economy.

Dr. Veerawat Champreeda, director of the NSTDA’s Biorefinery and Bioproduct Technology Research Group, said the product can help create a value-based economy by turning waste materials in agriculture into revenue streams through biorefining,which is economically and environmentally sustainable, while also helping to minimize waste.

He explained that the high-quality citrus extract that is used in the development of the anti-Covid nasal spray is obtained from the lime peel, which is a major source of agricultural waste. The lime extract has been widely used as an ingredient in cosmetics and healthcare products.

The study, conducted by the National Nanotechnology Center (NANOTEC), showed that the citrus extracts-based nasal spray is effective in helping prevent cell infection, reducing viral infection, relieving allergy symptoms, and, most importantly, preventing SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus entry into cells, Dr. Veerawat noted. “We have found that the findings from the studies are very satisfactory.”

Dr. Srung Samanmoo, Quantum Biotech Co., Ltd.’s chief innovation office, said a team of scientists from his company who joined the development of this innovative nasal spray, had improved the concentration of citrus essential oils in order to provide better-quality extracts due to their low water solubility. The team was also responsible for turning the natural compounds from citrus extracts into liquid crystals to create the formulation of the most suitable extract to be used in the development of the nasal spray.

The spray has been proven to be capable of suppressing several viruses, including the coronavirus that causes Covid-19, even when the virus mutates, Dr. Srung noted, saying it can offer about 3-4 hours of protection with just one spray per nostril.

“There are no steroids in the nasal spray we produce. We use only naturally formulated and laboratory-tested ingredients, so it would be safe for use. The spray comes in a small bottle, simple to carry and perfect for everyday use. And you don’t need to keep it in the fridge,” he said.

According to Dr. Srung, the anti-Covid nasal spray that contains citrus extracts has been registered with the Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA), with the registration number 65-1-3-2-0000818 issued on October 3, 2022, making it one of a kind. It’s sold under the tradename of “Besuto Qlears”.