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Traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) have been considered an important source of curative remedy for many years due to their potential chemical components which can promote health and prevent diseases. According to TCM, influenza is differentiated into two kinds, namely, wind-cold syndrome and wind-heat syndrome. Many traditional Chinese medicinal plants have been found to exert impacts against both cold and influenza viruses. This article included randomized control experiments, observational and analytical designs, and review articles which have been searched in Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar. The most important antiviral herbs for cold and flu are honey-suckle flowers (Lonicera periclymenum L.), thyme leaf (Thymus vulgaris L.), green chireta (Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Wall. Ex Nees), Calendula (Calendua officinalis L.), and peppermints leaf and oil (Mentha piperita L.). The most notable expectorant herbs for cold and flu are snake root (Ageratina altissima (L.) R.King & H.Rob), tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum L.), licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.), slippery elm (Ulmus rubra Muhl) and marshmallow osha root (Althea officinalis L.), clove (Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. & L.M.Perry), and sage leaf (Salvia officinalis L.). Immunostimulant herbs for cold and flu are eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globuls Labill), Echinacea root (Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench), ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Mey), garlic (Allium sativum L.), marshmallow (Althaea officinalis L.), Isatis root (Isatis tinctoria L.), ginger root (Zingiber officinale Rosc), and myrrh resin (Commiphora myrrha (T.Nees) Engl.). The most famous and practical herbal prescriptions from China are Jinchai, Rorrico, Ge Gen Decoction, Gegen Qinlian Decoction, Xin-Jia-Xiang-Ru-Yin, Yi-Zhi-Hao pellet, IMOD, and Arbidol combinations. Traditional Chinese medicinal plants and herbs with antiviral activities and prescriptions which are common in China can be considered for prevention and treatment of influenza and cold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, drug repurposing represented an effective strategy to obtain quick answers to medical emergencies. Based on previous data on methotrexate (MTX), we evaluated the anti-viral activity of several DHFR inhibitors in two cell lines. We observed that this class of compounds showed a significant influence on the virus-induced cytopathic effect (CPE) partly attributed to the intrinsic anti-metabolic activity of these drugs, but also to a specific anti-viral function. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms, we took advantage of our EXSCALATE platform for in-silico molecular modelling and further validated the influence of these inhibitors on nsp13 and viral entry. Interestingly, pralatrexate and trimetrexate showed superior effects in counteracting the viral infection compared to other DHFR inhibitors. Our results indicate that their higher activity is due to their polypharmacological and pleiotropic profile. These compounds can thus potentially give a clinical advantage in the management of SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients already treated with this class of drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study of the interaction system of binucleophilic 3-substituted 4-amino-4H-1,2,4-triazole-5-thiols and 3-phenyl-2-propynal made it possible to develop a new approach to synthesis of such isomeric classes as 7-benzylidene-[1,2,4]triazolo[3,4-b][1,3,4]thiadiazine and 8-phenyl-[1,2,4]triazolo[3,4-b][1,3,4]thiadiazepine. Among the 20 compounds studied in vitro against influenza A/Puerto Rico/8/34 (H1N1) virus, half of them demonstrated selectivity index (SI) of 10 or higher and one of them (4-((3-phenylprop-2-yn-1-yl)amino)-4H-1,2,4-triazole-3-thiol) possessed the highest (SI > 300). Docking results and values showed that the preferred interactant for our ligands was M2 proton channel of the influenza A virus. Protein-ligand interactions modeling showed that the aliphatic moiety of ligands could negatively regulate target activity level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pandemic of COVID-19 was caused by a novel coronavirus termed as SARS-CoV2 and is still ongoing with high morbidity and mortality rates in the whole world. The pathogenesis of COVID-19 is highly linked with over-active immune and inflammatory responses, leading to activated cytokine storm, which contribute to ARDS with worsen outcome. Currently, there is no effective therapeutic drug for the treatment of COVID-19. Zinc is known to act as an immune modulator, which plays an important role in immune defense system. Recently, zinc has been widely considered as an anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant agent. Accumulating numbers of studies have revealed that zinc plays an important role in antiviral immunity in several viral infections. Several early clinical trials clearly indicate that zinc treatment remarkably decreased the severity of the upper respiratory infection of rhinovirus in humans. Currently, zinc has been used for the therapeutic intervention of COVID-19 in many different clinical trials. Several clinical studies reveal that zinc treatment using a combination of HCQ and zinc pronouncedly reduced symptom score and the rates of hospital admission and mortality in COVID-19 patients. These data support that zinc might act as an anti-viral agent in the addition to its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties for the adjuvant therapeutic intervention of COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, the rationality for the antiviral effect (H1N1 virus) of Flos Lonicerae Japonicae (FLJ, named JinYinHua)-Fructus forsythiae (FF, named LianQiao) herb couple preparations improved by chito-oligosaccharide (COS) was investigated. We found that the improvement of antiviral activity for four preparations attributed to the enhancement of bioavailability for the FLJ-FF herb couple in vivo, and that caffeic acid derivatives are the most important type of components for antiviral activity. The anti-Influenza virus activity-half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50), not area under concentration (AUC) was considered as the weighting factor for integrating the pharmacokinetics of caffeic acid derivatives. It was found that the integral absorption, both in vitro and in vivo, especially that in Shuang-Huang-Lian, can be improved significantly by COS, an absorption enhancer based on tight junction. The results indicated that the antiviral activity in four preparations improved by COS was mainly attributed to the integral absorption enhancement of caffeic acid derivatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radix isatidis (Banlangen), a famous traditional Chinese medicine, has been used for thousands of years in China due to its anti-viral activity. Through our research, we inferred that the anti-viral activity of Radix isatidis depended on the water-soluble part. Among the components of this extract, the isoquinoline derivative 1 was isolated for the first time and has shown better anti-viral activity than other constituents. In this study, to solve the problem of sourcing sufficient quantities of compound 1, a total synthesis route is described, and several analogues are also evaluated for their anti-viral activities. Among them, compound 8 shown potent anti-viral activity with an IC50 value of 15.3 μg/mL. The results suggested that isoquinoline derivatives possessed potent anti-viral activity and are worthy further development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crocus sativus L. (saffron) has been traditionally used as a food coloring or flavoring agent, but recent research has shown its potent pharmacological activity to tackle several health-related conditions. Crocus sp. leaves, and petals are the by-products of saffron production and are not usually used in the medicine or food industries. The present study was designed to determine the chemical composition of the water and ethanolic extracts of C. sativus leaves and test their cytotoxic activity against melanoma (IGR39) and triple-negative breast cancer (MDA-MB-231) cell lines by MTT assay. We also determined their anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-viral activities. HPLC fingerprint analysis showed the presence of 16 compounds, including hydroxycinnamic acids, xanthones, flavonoids, and isoflavonoids, which could contribute to the extracts' biological activities. For the first time, compounds such as tectoridin, iristectorigenin B, nigricin, and irigenin were identified in Crocus leaf extracts. The results showed that mangiferin (up to 2 mg/g dry weight) and isoorientin (8.5 mg/g dry weight) were the major active ingredients in the leaf extracts. The ethanolic extract reduced the viability of IGR39 and MDA-MB-231 cancer cells with EC50 = 410 ± 100 and 330 ± 40 µg/mL, respectively. It was more active than the aqueous extract. Kaempferol and quercetin were identified as the most active compounds. Our results showed that Crocus leaves contain secondary metabolites with potent cytotoxic and antioxidant activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Newcastle disease virus (NDV) is one of the highly contagious pathogens causing devastating economic effects on the global poultry industry. In the present study, three 1-formyl-β-carboline derivatives (compounds 6, 7, and 9) were found to be potent inhibitors of different genotypes of NDV with IC50 values within 10 μM, which are similar to ribavirin. The virus titers were decreased by the presence of 1-formyl-β-carboline derivatives in a dose-dependent manner, and the inhibition rate was found to exceed 90% at the concentration of 20 μM. These compounds mainly suppressed the adsorption and entry processes of NDV lifecycle. Through DARTS, CETSA, and RBC binding assay, these compounds were identified as novel HN inhibitors, which could directly interact with the NDV HN protein to affect the adsorption of NDV. Furthermore, they could inhibit the entry of NDV through suppressing the PI3K/Akt pathway rather than the ERK pathway. The PI3K/Akt pathway was proved to be involved in NDV entry. Our findings reveal a unique mechanism through which 1-formyl-β-carboline derivatives restrain NDV infection. Moreover, these compounds represent suitable scaffolds for designing novel HN inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The disease-preventive and medicinal properties of plant polyphenolic compounds have long been known. As active ingredients, they are used to prevent and treat many noncommunicable diseases. In recent decades, marine macroalgae have attracted the attention of biotechnologists and pharmacologists as a promising and almost inexhaustible source of polyphenols. This heterogeneous group of compounds contains many biopolymers with unique structure and biological properties that exhibit high anti-infective activity. In the present review, the authors focus on the antiviral potential of polyphenolic compounds (phlorotannins) from marine algae and consider the mechanisms of their action as well as other biological properties of these compounds that have effects on the progress and outcome of viral infections. Effective nutraceuticals, to be potentially developed on the basis of algal polyphenols, can also be used in the complex therapy of viral diseases. It is necessary to extend in vivo studies on laboratory animals, which subsequently will allow proceeding to clinical tests. Polyphenolic compounds have a great potential as active ingredients to be used for the creation of new antiviral pharmaceutical substances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inhibition of H3N2 influenza PA endonuclease activity by a panel of anionic calix[n]arenes and β-cyclodextrin sulfate has been studied. The joint experimental and theoretical results reveal that the larger, more flexible and highly water-soluble sulfonato-calix[n]arenes have high inhibitory activity, with para-sulfonato-calix[8]arene, SC8, having an IC50 value of 6.4 μM. Molecular docking calculations show the SC8 can interact at both the polyanion binding site and also the catalytic site of H3N2 influenza PA endonuclease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Seaweed metabolites (fucoidans, carrageenans, ulvans, lectins, and polyphenols) are biologically active compounds that target proteins or genes of the influenza virus and host components that are necessary for replication and reproduction of the virus. Objective: This review gathers the information available in the literature regarding to the useful properties of seaweeds metabolites as potential agents for the prevention and therapy of influenza infection. Materials and methods: The sources of scientific literature were found in various electronic databases (i.e., PubMed, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect) and library search. The retrospective search depth is 25 years. Results: Influenza is a serious medical and social problem for humanity. Recently developed drugs are quite effective against currently circulating influenza virus strains, but their use can lead to the selection of resistant viral strains. In this regard, new therapeutic approaches and drugs with a broad spectrum of activity are needed. Metabolites of seaweeds fulfill these requirements. This review presents the results of in vitro and in vivo experimental and clinical studies about the effectiveness of these compounds in combating influenza infection and explains the necessity of their use as a potential basis for the creation of new drugs with a broad spectrum of activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]