Exploring the bioactivities of tūpākihi rongoā against viral infection and inflammation

This study aims to:

1. Use co-designed methods and tikanga to collect and extract medicinal parts of tūpākihi, using mātauranga to guide us around the poisonous and medicinal properties of the plant;
2. Examine tūpākihi extracts for antiviral activities (using viral plaque reduction assays) against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), which causes cold sores;
3. Examine tūpākihi extracts for anti-inflammatory activities in immune cell lines (i.e. using THP-1 derived macrophages and Jurkat T lymphocytes) and assess potential toxicity of tūpākihi extracts on these cells in vitro;
4. Explore the potential mechanisms of action for any bioactivities identified above by examining the impacts of tūpākihi extracts on growth and inflammatory signalling pathways (using Western blots etc.);
5. Share these results with our whānau, hapori and iwi through hui and wānanga.