Abstract
Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) is a perennial aquatic plant containing many kinds of bioactive ingredients, including alkaloids and flavonoids. In this study, we first demonstrated that the water extract of lotus leaf (WLL) has a strong inhibitory effect on influenza A virus (IAV) infection by inhibiting neuraminidase (NA) and hemagglutinin (HA). We investigated the effect of WLL on viral infection using fluorescent microscopy and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis with green fluorescent protein-tagged Influenza A/PR/8/34 virus. Plaque inhibition assay and cytopathic effect detection assay were used to confirm the antiviral effect of WLL. WLL significantly inhibited influenza viral infection, in a dose-dependent manner. Immunofluorescence (IF) analysis confirmed that WLL reduces influenza HA, NA, M2, and NP protein expression. WLL strongly reduced both HA and NA activity of IAV. Among six components in WLL, isoquercitrin exerted a potent antiviral effect. Additionally, WLL strongly suppressed the cytopathic effect by H1N1 or H3N2 IAV infection. In conclusion, our results suggest that WLL could be used as a natural viral inhibitor for H1N1 and H3N2 influenza viral infection.
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