IN VITRO ANTI-VIRAL ACTIVITY OF ETHANOL EXTRACT FROM IXERIS CHINENSIS AGAINSTINFLUENZA VIRUS

摘要

Ixeris chinensis (Thunb.) Nakai (/. chinensis), a commonly used Taiwanese herbal medicine that exhibits various pharmacological properties, has been used to prepare a traditional Chinese medicine composition for prevention and treatment of influenza Avirus infection. In this study, the in vitro anti-influenza virus activity of /. chinensis was evaluated. The result showed that the 50% ethanol extract from /. chinensis significantly increased the viability of the DF-1 cells that were infected with the H6N1 influenza virus. This extract also suppressed the synthesis of viral nucleoprotein (NP) and inhibited the growth of the H6N1 virus in DF-1 cells. Further, the 50% ethanol extract from /. chinensis inhibited the neuraminidase (NA) activity of the H6N1 virus. These findings provide important information for exploitation and utilization of /. chinensis in treatment of influenza infection.