Tree bark could fight Aids

Scientists have found two products in tree bark that may prove effective in the treatment of Aids patients.

One compound comes from a tree in Argentina and attacks the virus that causes Aids - the other comes from an African tree and is being developed to fight the mouth infections that often accompany HIV infection.

The role of the tree bark was revealed at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement in Science, in Washington DC.

Mahabir Gupta of the University of Panama described an extract found in a tree in Argentina that "shows remarkable anti-HIV activity."

His team is now working with experts at the University of Pamplona in Spain to develop it.

Kurt Hostettmann of the University of Lausanne in Switzerland said his team had found an anti-fungal compound in a tree known as Bobgunnia madagascariensis, which is found across Africa.

Lung condition

"Our compound is more active than all the compounds on the market," Hostettmann told a news conference.

The chemical acts against Candida albicans, which is responsible for many fungal skin conditions and for the mycosis that affects the mouths, eyes and other parts of Aids patients.

The Swiss team say it can also kill Aspergillis, which can cause a fatal lung condition and several other species of fungi that infect people.

Companies have been criticised in the past for exploiting natural sources of drugs without compensating the countries where they were found, but Gupta said working with companies was the only way to develop promising compounds into drugs.

"If alliances are made in an intelligent way where both parties gain, I think it would be fruitful," he said.

Hostettmann said his team had a contract with the University of Zimbabwe to make sure money went back into the countries that supplied the trees.