Premium
Development of anti‐influenza agents from natural products
Author(s) -
Zhang ZhiJun,
MorrisNatschke Susan L.,
Cheng YungYi,
Lee KuoHsiung,
Li RongTao
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
medicinal research reviews
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.868
H-Index - 130
eISSN - 1098-1128
pISSN - 0198-6325
DOI - 10.1002/med.21707
Subject(s) - oseltamivir , drug , medicine , pandemic , quinic acid , virus , traditional medicine , medical prescription , shikimic acid , influenza a virus , pharmacology , biology , virology , covid-19 , infectious disease (medical specialty) , disease , biochemistry , pathology
The influenza pandemic continues to threaten public health due to its high morbidity and mortality rates, despite some successes in antiviral research. Natural drugs are important alternative therapies in the treatment of and recovery from influenza and have been the subjects of intense investigation during the last few decades. Many reports have shown that the development of novel bioactive chemicals extracted from natural drugs has significant advantages. Oseltamivir is a successful case of an anti‐influenza drug synthesized using two natural products, quinic acid, and shikimic acid, as starting materials. In China, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) plays an important role in the treatment of influenza. TCM herbal extracts and prescriptions or their isolated bioactive constituents have shown significant therapeutic and preventive effects against influenza. For example, the roots of Isatis indigotica (Banlangen) fight viral infection by targeting both the virus and the host and have significantly different effects than those of synthetic chemicals. Lianhuaqingwen capsule exerts its anti‐influenza activity by regulating the immune response to interfere with both viral and host reactions and might well be an alternative therapeutic option to treat influenza virus infection. This paper reviews the chemical ingredients, crude extracts, and TCM prescriptions with anti‐influenza activity reported during the period of 2010–September 2019. We hope that this comprehensive review will not only fuel research on anti‐influenza active natural products and TCM research but also provide a promising alternative candidate for further anti‐influenza drug development.