Lignin is a complex polymer widely present in the cell walls of terrestrial plants and an important byproduct of the wood industry. A new study in Finland shows that lignin has broad-spectrum antiviral and antibacterial effects, and is expected to become a green alternative to synthetic antibacterial agents in fields such as coatings, packaging materials, or disinfectant products. The University of Helsinki in Finland recently released a press release stating that a team led by researchers at the university used a simple water-based extraction method to isolate high-purity lignin from birch wood chips, wheat straw, and oat shells. The experimental results indicate that lignin not only exhibits significant antiviral activity against enveloped enteroviruses, but also has good inhibitory effects on some enveloped viruses as well as various bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Enteroviruses are a common type of pathogen, including poliovirus, coxsackievirus, enterovirus, etc., which may cause human meningitis, myocarditis, poliomyelitis, hand foot mouth disease, etc. Researchers say that the mechanism of action of lignin on enteroviruses is to stabilize the virus structure and cause virus particle aggregation to weaken its activity. Enteroviruses treated with lignin can still bind and invade host cells, but are difficult to replicate within cells. For bacteria, the active chemical groups of lignin can invade bacterial cells, causing damage to bacterial function. The relevant paper has been published in the latest issue of the academic journal International Journal of Biomacromolecules. The research team believes that lignin has the potential to become a green and environmentally friendly alternative to synthetic antibacterial agents, which can be applied in safer and more sustainable ways in fields such as coatings, packaging materials, and disinfection products. (New Society)