title: Effect of oral application of an immunomodulating plant extract on Influenza virus type A infection in mice.
abstract: The influence of the oral administration of an aqueous-ethanolic extract of a mixture of Thujae occidentalis herba, Baptisiae tinctoriae radix, Echinaceae purpureae radix and Echinaceae pallidae radix, on the course of Influenza A virus infection in Balb/c mice was investigated. The extract was administered to mice via the drinking water for 14 days starting 6 days before intranasal infection with Influenza A virus. The progress of infection was recorded during a time range of 21 days. Parameters for the evaluation of antiviral activity were survival rate and mean day to death. In a further set of experiments infected mice were sacrificed on defined days. Determination of consolidation score and virus titer were performed for each lung. The data show that the oral treatment with the extract induced a statistically significant increase in the survival rate, prolonged the mean survival time and reduced lung consolidation and virus titer. The experiments demonstrate that the plant immunomodulator given 6 days before exposure is a potent inhibitor of Influenza A virus pathology in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Schaper & Brümmer GmbH & Co. KG, Research and Development Department, Salzgitter, Germany. cornelia.bodinet@schaper-bruemmer.de
authors.forename: Cornelia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bodinet
authors.forename: Renate
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mentel
authors.forename: Ursula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Wegner
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Lindequist
authors.forename: Eberhard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Teuscher
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Freudenstein
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D020900:Echinacea; D007887:Fabaceae; D005260:Female; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000187:drug effects*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000188:drug therapy; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018517:Plant Roots; D018520:Plant Shoots; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; D016019:Survival Analysis; D029783:Thuja
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts