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Anti-Influenza Activity of Medicinal Material Extracts from Qinghai–Tibet Plateau

Summary

Researchers tested extracts from traditional Tibetan medicinal plants, mushrooms, and lichens to see if they could fight influenza virus. They found that seven out of nine extracts could reduce influenza virus infection in laboratory cells, with a mushroom extract called Armillaria luteo-virens showing particularly strong antiviral effects. These results suggest that traditional medicinal materials from the Qinghai–Tibetan plateau could be valuable sources for developing new flu treatments that might work better against drug-resistant flu strains.

Background

Influenza virus poses a significant threat to human health with rapid mutation rates causing drug resistance. Traditional medicinal plants from the Qinghai–Tibetan plateau have been used for thousands of years in Tibetan medicine. This study evaluates the antiviral potential of extracts from medicinal plants, lichens, and fungi from this region against influenza A/H3N2 virus.

Objective

To evaluate the anti-influenza activity of nine extracts from eight medicinal plants and one mushroom species from the Qinghai–Tibetan plateau against influenza A/H3N2 virus in vitro. The goal was to identify promising sources for novel antiviral drugs to combat drug-resistant influenza strains.

Results

Seven extracts demonstrated antiviral activity: A. sativa, H. vulgare, H. rhamnoides, L. ruthenicum, N. tangutorum, C. rangiferina, and A. luteo-virens. The mushroom extract A. luteo-virens showed the strongest antiviral effect with IC50 of 7.81 ± 0.12 μg/mL. Two extracts (N. tangutorum by-products and P. anserina) showed no inhibitory activity, suggesting polysaccharides were more effective than anthocyanins.

Conclusion

Extracts from A. sativa, H. vulgare, H. rhamnoides, L. ruthenicum, N. tangutorum, C. rangiferina, and A. luteo-virens contain substances with significant antiviral activity and minimal cytotoxicity. These traditional Qinghai–Tibetan medicinal materials show promise as sources for developing novel anti-influenza drugs with lower resistance profiles than current synthetic antivirals.
  • Published in:Viruses,
  • Study Type:In Vitro Screening Study,
  • Source: 10.3390/v14020360, PMID: 35215953
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