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The in Vitro Action of Synthetic Crystalline Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) on Herpes Virus¹

From the Department of Bacteriology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York

Abstract

The experimental evidence presented in this paper shows that synthetic vitamin C (ascorbic acid) inactivates "W" virus in vitro. This is a non-specific action and is due to a pH effect since, when the vitamin is added to a virus suspension buffered between pH 5 to 8, it fails to inhibit the virus. The virus treated with unadjusted ascorbic acid loses its antigenic power.

These observations apply only to the inactivating effect of ascorbic acid on the virus in test tube mixtures and have no reference to the effect that vitamin C may exert in inhibiting virus infections in the animal body.

Footnotes

¹ This research was supported by a grant from the W. J. Matheson Fund for the study of encephalitis.