Abstract
To discover sources for novel anti-influenza drugs, we evaluated the antiviral potential of nine extracts from eight medicinal plants and one mushroom (Avena sativa L., Hordeum vulgare Linn. var. nudum Hook. f., Hippophae rhamnoides Linn., Lycium ruthenicum Murr., Nitraria tangutorum Bobr., Nitraria tangutorum Bobr. by-products, Potentilla anserina L., Cladina rangiferina (L.) Nyl., and Armillaria luteo-virens) from the Qinghai–Tibetan plateau against the influenza A/H3N2 virus. Concentrations lower than 125 μg/mL of all extracts demonstrated no significant toxicity in MDCK cells. During screening, seven extracts (A. sativa, H. vulgare, H. rhamnoides, L. ruthenicum, N. tangutorum, C. rangiferina, and A. luteo-virens) exhibited antiviral activity, especially the water-soluble polysaccharide from the fruit body of the mushroom A. luteo-virens. These extracts significantly reduced the infectivity of the human influenza A/H3N2 virus in vitro when used at concentrations of 15.6–125 μg/mL. Two extracts (N. tangutorum by-products and P. anserina) had no A/H3N2 virus inhibitory activity. Notably, the extract obtained from the fruits of N. tangutorum and N. tangutorum by-products exhibited different anti-influenza effects. The results suggest that extracts of A. sativa, H. vulgare, H. rhamnoides, L. ruthenicum, N. tangutorum, C. rangiferina, and A. luteo-virens contain substances with antiviral activity, and may be promising sources of new antiviral drugs.
Highlights
IntroductionMany viral infections pose a significant threat to human health, often causing death and large economic losses
Young children, the elderly, and patients with chronic diseases are at high risk of developing severe complications due to influenza virus infection, which leads to high mortality rates [1]
The total anthocyanin content assay showed that the largest quantity of this substance was contained in the NJBAE extract; a small quantity of anthocyanin was observed in some other polysaccharide extracts, such as LRWP, NTWP, PAWP, and ALWP
Summary
Many viral infections pose a significant threat to human health, often causing death and large economic losses. Seasonal influenza affects millions of people around the world every year, causing acute contagious respiratory infections. Young children, the elderly, and patients with chronic diseases are at high risk of developing severe complications due to influenza virus infection, which leads to high mortality rates [1]. Vaccination is the primary strategy for the prevention of influenza infection, the rapid accumulation of mutations in the influenza A virus genomes enables the emerging viruses to evade the immunity developed after vaccination or previous infections with influenza A, and cause yearly epidemics and major pandemics with high morbidity and a large number of severe and fatal cases. Vaccination failures have been widely documented, and in the elderly, where most of the mortality occurs, vaccines are only approximately. In the eventuality of a pandemic infection with a new strain, antiviral drugs represent the first line of defense
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