Planta Med 2002; 68(10): 896-900
DOI: 10.1055/s-2002-34919
Original Paper
Pharmacology
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Effect of Oral Application of an Immunomodulating Plant Extract on Influenza Virus Type A Infection in Mice

Cornelia Bodinet1 , Renate Mentel2 , Ursula Wegner2 , Ulrike Lindequist3 , Eberhard Teuscher4 , Johannes Freudenstein1
  • 1Schaper & Brümmer GmbH & Co. KG, Research and Development Department, Salzgitter, Germany
  • 2Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie, Ernst Moritz Arndt Universität Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
  • 3Institut für Pharmazie, Ernst Moritz Arndt Universität Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
  • 4Triebes, Germany
Weitere Informationen

Publikationsverlauf

Received: January 17, 2002

Accepted: May 18, 2002

Publikationsdatum:
21. Oktober 2002 (online)

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.

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Dr. Cornelia Bodinet

Schaper & Brümmer GmbH & Co. KG

Bahnhofstr. 35

38259 Salzgitter

Germany

eMail: cornelia.bodinet@schaper-bruemmer.de

Fax: +49-5341-307-713