Scientists have made a 'wonder drug' out of bananas that can kill off a wide range of viruses – including hepatitis C, flu and AIDS.

It is hoped the new medicine will become a vital ‘broad spectrum anti-viral’ that could protect humanity from some of the most vicious diseases.

The key ingredient is a protein found in bananas called banana lectin, or ‘BanLec’.

It was first discovered five years ago – and considered as a potential AIDS treatment.

But it caused nasty side effects that scientists have now overcome.

Now, scientists have created a new version of BanLec which can fight viruses in mice – but does not cause unwanted irritation and inflammation.

BanLec works by clinging to sugar molecules found on the surface of some of the world’s deadliest viruses. 

Once the drug has locked on to the virus, it is rendered harmless – and can easily be disposed of by the body’s immune system.

In tests on mice, the new form of BanLec, called H84T, stopped them getting the flu - without the increased inflammation earlier versions had caused. 

The new variation also worked in the laboratory – on tissue and blood samples against AIDS, hepatitis C and influenza.

The researchers believe the drug may even work on Ebola, as all of these viruses are covered in similar sugar molecules that BanLec clings to.

However they warn eating regular bananas will not have the same beneficial effect, as the ingredient is a modified version of the chemical found in the fruit.

Dr David Markovitz, professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan and co-author of the paper, published in the journal Cell, said: ‘What we've done is exciting because there is potential for BanLec to develop into a broad spectrum anti-viral agent - something that is not clinically available to physicians and patients right now.’ 

However several years of research still lie ahead before BanLec can be tested in humans.