"Nevertheless, the relative success achieved recently using medicinal plant/herb extracts of various species that are capable of acting therapeutically in various viral infections has raised optimism about the future of phyto-antiviral agents.

Unlike bacterial cells, which are free-living entities, viruses utilize the host cell environment to propagate new viruses. They use the reproductive machinery of cells they invade causing ailments as benign as a common wart, as irritating as a cold, or as deadly as what is known as the bloody African fever. The viruses that cause Lassa fever and Ebola fever and the retrovirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) are examples that researchers call hot agents – viruses that spread easily, kill sometimes swiftly, and for which there is no cure or vaccine."

J Appl Microbiol. 2003;95(3):412-27.

Novel antiviral agents: a medicinal plant perspective.

Jassim SA1, Naji MA.

Author information 

Abstract

Several hundred plant and herb species that have potential as novel antiviral agents have been studied, with surprisingly little overlap. A wide variety of active phytochemicals, including the flavonoids, terpenoids, lignans, sulphides, polyphenolics, coumarins, saponins, furyl compounds, alkaloids, polyines, thiophenes, proteins and peptides have been identified. 

Some volatile essential oils of commonly used culinary herbs, spices and herbal teas have also exhibited a high level of antiviral activity. However, given the few classes of compounds investigated, most of the pharmacopoeia of compounds in medicinal plants with antiviral activity is still not known. Several of these phytochemicals have complementary and overlapping mechanisms of action, including antiviral effects by either inhibiting the formation of viral DNA or RNA or inhibiting the activity of viral reproduction. 

Assay methods to determine antiviral activity include multiple-arm trials, randomized crossover studies, and more compromised designs such as nonrandomized crossovers and pre- and post-treatment analyses. Methods are needed to link antiviral efficacy/potency- and laboratory-based research. Nevertheless, the relative success achieved recently using medicinal plant/herb extracts of various species that are capable of acting therapeutically in various viral infections has raised optimism about the future of phyto-antiviral agents. 

As this review illustrates, there are innumerable potentially useful medicinal plants and herbs waiting to be evaluated and exploited for therapeutic applications against genetically and functionally diverse viruses families such as Retroviridae, Hepadnaviridae and Herpesviridae

PMID:

 

12911688

 

[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] 

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Smallpox and Mumps and Melilssa

However, the conditions that might respond favourably to herbal antivirals include hepatitis, herpes simplex and zoster, influenza, common cold and HIV (Tables 2 and 3). These findings are encouraging and should stimulate further research. 

Melissa officinalis L
The active antiviral constituents of Melissa officinalis L appear to be the polyphenols and tannins [22], and activity against smallpox, mumps, Newcastle disease and herpes viruses has been demonstrated in vitro. 

Antivir Ther. 2003 Apr;8(2):77-90.

Antiviral agents from plants and herbs: a systematic review.

Martin KW1, Ernst E.

Author information 

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: 

Many antiviral compounds presently in clinical use have a narrow spectrum of activity, limited therapeutic usefulness and variable toxicity. There is also an emerging problem of resistant viral strains. This study was undertaken to examine the published literature on herbs and plants with antiviral activity, their laboratory evaluation in vitro and in vivo, and evidence of human clinical efficacy.

METHODS: 

Independent literature searches were performed on MEDLINE, EMBASE, CISCOM, AMED and Cochrane Library for information on plants and herbs with antiviral activity. There was no restriction on the language of publication. Data from clinical trials of single herb preparations used to treat uncomplicated viral infections were extracted in a standardized, predefined manner.

RESULTS: 

Many hundreds of herbal preparations with antiviral activity were identified and the results of one search presented as an example. Yet extracts from only 11 species met the inclusion criteria of this review and have been tested in clinical trials. They have been used in a total of 33 randomized, and a further eight nonrandomized, clinical trials. Fourteen of these trials described the use of Phyllanthus spp. for treatment of hepatitis B, seven reporting positive and seven reporting negative results. The other 10 herbal medicines had each been tested in between one and nine clinical trials. Only four of these 26 trials reported no benefit from the herbal product.

CONCLUSIONS: 

Though most of the clinical trials located reported some benefits from use of antiviral herbal medicines, negative trials may not be published at all. There remains a need for larger, stringently designed, randomized clinical trials to provide conclusive evidence of their efficacy.

PMID:

 

12741619

 

[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] 

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Influenza (flu) and Melaleuca Alternifolia

Molecules. 2013 Aug 9;18(8):9550-66. doi: 10.3390/molecules18089550.

Melaleuca alternifolia concentrate inhibits in vitro entry of influenza virus into host cells.

Li X¹, Duan S, Chu C, Xu J, Zeng G, Lam AK, Zhou J, Yin Y, Fang D, Reynolds MJ, Gu H, Jiang L.

Abstract

Influenza virus causes high morbidity among the infected population annually and occasionally the spread of pandemics. Melaleuca alternifolia Concentrate (MAC) is an essential oil derived from a native Australian tea tree. Our aim was to investigate whether MAC has any in vitro inhibitory effect on influenza virus infection and what mechanism does the MAC use to fight the virus infection. In this study, the antiviral activity of MAC was examined by its inhibition of cytopathic effects. In silico prediction was performed to evaluate the interaction between MAC and the viral haemagglutinin. We found that when the influenza virus was incubated with 0.010% MAC for one hour, no cytopathic effect on MDCK cells was found after the virus infection and no immunofluorescence signal was detected in the host cells. Electron microscopy showed that the virus treated with MAC retained its structural integrity. By computational simulations, we found that terpinen-4-ol, which is the major bioactive component of MAC, could combine with the membrane fusion site of haemagglutinin. Thus, we proved that MAC could prevent influenza virus from entering the host cells by disturbing the normal viral membrane fusion procedure.

PMID:

23966077

[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

 Melaleuca alternifolia

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