title: Anti-influenza virus activity of the ethanolic extract from Peperomia sui.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Peperomia sui Lin and Lu (Peperomia sui), a well-known Taiwanese folk medicine, has a broad range of biological effects, especially in treatment of upper respiratory tract diseases. However, no previous study has explored the activity of Peperomia sui against influenza virus infections. This study was carried out to evaluate the anti-influenza virus activity and the potential virucidal effect of the ethanolic extract of Peperomia sui (PSE).
  
  
  METHODS
  The anti-H6N1 avian influenza viral activity of PSE against the influenza virus A/Chicken/TW/0518/2011 (H6N1) in chicken fibroblast DF-1 cells was evaluated by cell viability assay, hemagglutination assay, neuraminidase activity assay, indirect immunofluorescence assay and quantitative RT-PCR assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PSE significantly increased the viability of cells that were infected by the H6N1 virus. PSE also suppressed the synthesis of viral nucleoprotein (NP), and inhibited the growth of the virus in DF-1 cells. Further, PSE inhibited the neuraminidase activity of H6N1 virus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings of this study provide important information for the exploitation and utilization of Peperomia sui in treatment of influenza infection.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Microbiology and Public Health, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan, Republic of China; Department of Education and Research, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung 407, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chih-Hsueh
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Microbiology and Public Health, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Duen-Huey
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Microbiology and Public Health, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Wei-Li
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ting-Ting
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Jong
authors.affiliation: Taiwan Seed Improvement and Propagation Station, Council of Agriculture, Taichung 426, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chi-Luan
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.affiliation: Department of Education and Research, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung 407, Taiwan, Republic of China. Electronic address: h2326@vghtc.gov.tw.
authors.forename: Shih-Lan
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Microbiology and Public Health, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan, Republic of China. Electronic address: pcchang@mail.nchu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Poa-Chun
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002645:Chickens; D000431:Ethanol / Q000737:chemistry; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000821:virology; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000187:drug effects*; D005585:Influenza in Birds / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology; D008518:Medicine, East Asian Traditional; D009439:Neuraminidase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D036941:Peperomia / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013624:Taiwan
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D000431:Ethanol; D009439:Neuraminidase
keywords: Antiviral activity; Hemagglutination; Influenza virus; Peperomia sui