Korean J Vet Res.  2018 Sep;58(3):153-158. 10.14405/kjvr.2018.58.3.153.

Anti-influenza properties of herbal extract of Althaea rosea in mice

• Kim MS
• Chathuranga K
• Kim H
• Lee JS
• Kim CJ

• KMID: 2437687
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.14405/kjvr.2018.58.3.153

Abstract

Althaea rosea has been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat numerous diseases, but no studies have investigated its anti-influenza properties to date. In this study, we investigated the anti-influenza effects of Althaea rosea. BALB/c mice orally pretreated with Althaea rosea (200 µL, 0.1 mg/mL concentration in phosphate-buffered saline) and followed by infection of influenza A virus nasally showed higher survivability and lower lung virus titer against divergent subtypes of influenza A virus infection. We also found that oral administration of Althaea rosea elicited antiviral innate immune responses in serum, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, small intestinal fluid, and the lungs. Taken together, these findings suggest that aqueous extracts of Althaea rosea are a potential candidate for use as an anti-influenza drug.

Keyword

Althaea rosea; antivial agents; influenza A virus; interferon inducers; medicinal plant

MeSH Terms

Administration, Oral
Althaea*
Animals
Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid
Immunity, Innate
Influenza A virus
Interferon Inducers
Lung
Medicine, Chinese Traditional
Mice*
Plants, Medicinal
Viral Load
Interferon Inducers