Coffee components of antiviral activity

Int J Mol Med. 2011 Jul 1. Inhibition of multiplication of herpes simplex virus by caffeic acid. (Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan)

• Previous finding: components of coffee extract inhibits viral multiplication.
• caffeine
• N-methyl-pyridinium formate
• This article is about caffeic acid, which is
• another coffee components, unrelated to caffeine
• commonly found as chlorogenic acid 
• esterification of quinic acid + caffeic acid
• a polyphenol, abundant in plants
• reported to have antioxidant activity
• Caffeic acid inhibits HSV-1 (virus causing cold sore) replication 
• in vitro (HEp-2 cell culture)
• at early time point only
• However, neither chlorogenic acid nor quinic acid did show such antiviral activity.