AIDS help claim sees Citrofresh surgeShares in anti-bacterial...

AIDS help claim sees Citrofresh surge

Shares in anti-bacterial and anti-viral product developer Citrofresh International Ltd more than doubled in value after the company said its bioflavonoid compound had been tested as effective against HIV/AIDS, influenza, SARS and common colds.

Shares in the company were placed in trading halt late on Tuesday afternoon after they had surged 32.5 cents, or 154.76 per cent, higher to 53.5 cents.

The shares had gone as high as 70 cents.

Citrofresh said it had requested a trading halt pending the release of a market announcement concerning an earlier announcement in relation to the effectiveness of Citrofresh against four major virus types.

Citrofresh's initial statement to the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) included no details of the tests involving the viruses.

Citrofresh said in that statement that its Citrofresh organic bioflavonoid compound had been tested by the Retroscreen Virology Laboratory against the four viruses, and tests had shown that Citrofresh exhibited "significant virucidal (a tendency to destroy viruses) activity against all four viruses tested".


A bioflavonoid is a plant derivative with anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that is usually taken from the rinds of citrus fruit.

Citrofresh said Retroscreen was Europe's leading contract virology research company. Citrofresh said it had commissioned Retroscreen to determine the concentrations and anti-viral efficacy of Citrofresh.

"The study concluded the efficacy of Citrofresh against both enveloped and non-enveloped viruses and suggested that equal or less than five per cent concentration and equal or less than five minutes contact time is sufficient to eliminate all of the viruses," Citrofresh said in the statement to the ASX.

The statement gave no details of the tests and does not say when or where they were conducted or who comprised the scientific team conducting the tests.

The statement to the ASX also did not say if the tests had been independently verified or if the test data would be presented in any scientific journal or presented to a scientific conference after peer review.

Citrofresh managing director Ravi Narain was not immediately available to comment.

Citrofresh is a natural biocide (a substance that kills living organisms) made from orange extracts.

It has applications in hospital and personal hygiene, plant and crop health and hygiene and shelf-life extension of raw and unprocessed food.