Antiviral activity of Poncirus trifoliata seed extract against oseltamivir-resistant influenza virus.

J Microbiol. 2018 Aug;56(8):586-592. doi: 10.1007/s12275-018-8222-0. Epub 2018 Jul 25. Heo Y1, Cho Y1, Ju KS1, Cho H1, Park KH1, Choi H1, Yoon JK1, Moon C2, Kim YB3. Author information 1 Department of Bio-industrial technologies, Konkuk University, Seoul, 05029, Republic of Korea. 2 Gueulri, Ansan, 15588, Republic of Korea. 3 Department of Bio-medical science and engineering, Konkuk University, Seoul, 05029, Republic of Korea. kimera@konkuk.ac.kr. Abstract The emergence of oseltamivir-resistant variants of influenza virus has highlighted the necessity for the development of more effective novel antiviral drugs. To date, numerous researchers have focused on developing antiviral drugs using natural resources, such as traditional herbal medicines. Poncirus trifoliata is widely used in oriental medicine as a remedy for gastritis, dysentery, inflammation and digestive ulcers. In this study, we investigated the potential antiviral effect of the Poncirus trifoliata orange seed extract against influenza virus. An ethanol extract of Poncirus trifoliata seeds (PTex) inhibited the activity of influenza viruses, in particular, oseltamivir- resistant strains, in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells. In contrast to oseltamivir, PTex exerted a significant inhibitory effect on the cellular penetration pathway of the virus rather than HA receptor binding. The potent antiviral effect and novel working mechanism of PTex support its further development as an effective natural antiviral drug with a wide spectrum of activity against influenza and oseltamivir-resistant viruses. KEYWORDS: Poncirus trifoliata; antiviral agent; influenza; natural product PMID: 30047088 DOI: 10.1007/s12275-018-8222-0 [Indexed for MEDLINE]