Regression of herpes viral infection symptoms using melatonin and SB‐73: comparison with Acyclovir

Abstract: Infection with Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV‐1) typically causes lesions of the mouth, face, skin, esophagus, or brain. Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV‐2) usually causes infections of the genitals, rectum, skin, hands, or meninges. The herpes viruses are a major cause of blindness from keratitis. The usual drugs used for herpes are Vidarabine, Acyclovir, Penciclovir and Ganciclovir; they are associated with several complications. The aim of this study was to investigate if a formulation containing 2.5 mg melatonin and 100 mg SB‐73 would help patients with herpes, and to compare the preparation with 200 mg Acyclovir. SB‐73 is a mixture of magnesium, phosphate, fatty acids extracted from Aspergillus sp. which has anti‐herpes virus properties. A single blind randomized study was performed in which 70 patients underwent treatment using the supplement cited above (group A) and 75 received treatment of 200 mg Acyclovir (group B). Sixty‐seven patients of the group A (95.7%) reported a complete regression of symptoms after 7 days of treatment. By comparison, 64 subjects (85.3%) of the Acyclovir reported regression of symptoms in the same period. There was statiscally significant difference between the groups ( P < 0.05).