Antiviral Effects of Novel Herbal Medicine KIOM-C, on Diverse Viruses

PLoS One. 2015 May 5;10(5):e0125357. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0125357. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

In order to identify new potential antiviral agents, recent studies have advocated thorough testing of herbal medicines or natural substances that are traditionally used to prevent viral infections. Antiviral activities and the mechanism of action of the total aqueous extract preparation of KIOM-C, a novel herbal medicine, against diverse types of viruses were investigated. In vitro antiviral activity against A/Puerto Rico/8/34 (H1N1) (PR8), vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), and Newcastle disease virus (NDV) through the induction of type-I interferon related protein phosphorylation and up-regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines in murine macrophage cells (RAW264.7) were determined. In vivo, KIOM-C-treated BALB/c mice showed higher survivability and lower lung viral titers when challenged with A/Aquatic bird/Korea/W81/2005 (H5N2), A/PR/8/34(H1N1), A/Aquatic bird/Korea/W44/2005(H7N3) or A/Chicken/Korea/116 /2004(H9N2) influenza subtypes in contrast with the non-treated group. The present study revealed that total aqueous extract preparation of KIOM-C stimulates an antiviral state in murine macrophage cells and in mice leading to inhibition of viral infection and protection against lethal challenges.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antiviral Agents / administration & dosage
  • Antiviral Agents / pharmacology*
  • Cell Line
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Cytokines / biosynthesis
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Female
  • Herbal Medicine*
  • Inflammation Mediators / metabolism
  • Interferon Type I / metabolism
  • Lung / pathology
  • Lung / virology
  • Mice
  • Orthomyxoviridae Infections / drug therapy
  • Orthomyxoviridae Infections / mortality
  • Orthomyxoviridae Infections / virology
  • Plant Extracts / administration & dosage
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology*
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Virus Replication / drug effects
  • Viruses / drug effects*

Substances

  • Antiviral Agents
  • Cytokines
  • Inflammation Mediators
  • Interferon Type I
  • KIOM-C preparation
  • Plant Extracts

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the grant K12050 awarded to the Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine (KIOM) from the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MEST), Republic of Korea. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.