title: Anti-Influenza Activity of Betulinic Acid from Zizyphus jujuba on Influenza A/PR/8 Virus.
abstract: Betulinic acid, a pentacyclic triterpene isolated from Jujube tree (Zizyphus jujuba Mill), has been known for a wide range of biological and medicinal properties such as antibacterial, antimalarial, anti-inflammatory, antihelmintic, antinociceptive, and anticancer activities. In the study, we investigated the antiviral activity on influenza A/PR/8 virus infected A549 human lung adenocarcinoma epithelial cell line and C57BL/6 mice. Betulinic acid showed the anti-influenza viral activity at a concentration of 50 μM without a significant cytotoxicity in influenza A/PR/8 virus infected A549 cells. Also, betulinic acid significantly attenuated pulmonary pathology including increased necrosis, numbers of inflammatory cells and pulmonary edema induced by influenza A/PR/8 virus infection compared with vehicle- or oseltamivir-treated mice in vivo model. The down-regulation of IFN-γ level, which is critical for innate and adaptive immunity in viral infection, after treating of betulinic acid in mouse lung. Based on the obtained results, it is suggested that betulinic acid can be the potential therapeutic agent for virus infection via anti-inflammatory activity.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Pharmacy, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701.
authors.forename: Eun-Hye
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Pharmacy, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701.
authors.forename: Jae Hyoung
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy and Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742.
authors.forename: Kyo Bin
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy and Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742.
authors.forename: Sang Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Pharmacy, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701.
authors.forename: Hyun-Jeong
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Natural Products Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Heejung
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yang
keywords: A549; Betulinic acid; Inflammation; Influenza A/PR/8; Zizyphus jujuba