title: Inhibitory effects of baicalein on the influenza virus in vivo is determined by baicalin in the serum.
abstract: Baicalein, an extract from Scutellaria baicalensis, was evaluated for its ability to inhibit the influenza virus in vivo. Oral administration of baicalein to BALB/c mice infected with the influenza A/FM1/1/47(H1N1) virus showed significant effects in preventing death, increasing the mean time to death, inhibiting lung consolidation, and reducing the lung virus titer in a dose-dependent manner. These effects are believed to be due to baicalin, the metabolite of baicalein in the serum. At a concentration of baicalin 2 microg/ml in overlay medium, it showed significant inhibition in the plaque assay, and the mean IC(50) value of baicalin was calculated as 1.2 microg/ml in the cytopathic effect assay. Our results showed that baicalein warrants further research as a potential antiinfluenza viral agent.
authors.affiliation: School of Life Science & Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tong Jia Xiang, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210009, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Ge
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dou
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Qinglong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Changlin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002460:Cell Line; D003588:Cytopathogenic Effect, Viral / Q000187:drug effects; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D044950:Flavanones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000097:blood*; D053118:Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D031364:Scutellaria baicalensis; D010948:Viral Plaque Assay
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D044950:Flavanones; D005419:Flavonoids; D010936:Plant Extracts; C499814:Scutellaria baicalensis extract; C038044:baicalin; C006680:baicalein