AntiViral Herbals

Sambucus-berries_Elderberry_Herbal_Antivirals_Stephen_Buhner

Herbal Antivirals

by Jeffrey Dach MD

It was about twenty years ago, and I still remember vividly an anxious middle aged man on oxygen sitting up on his stretcher in the waiting area of the Hospital Xray department outside my office.  He was there for his daily chest Xray to show the status of his viral pneumonia.   After a few days, he stopped coming down, and the hospital staff informed me he had succumbed to his illness.  This was a bitter lesson that, although we doctors have effective antibiotics for bacterial pneumonia, we have no such drugs for viral pneumonia, and in fact, we have very little to offer these unfortunate people except supportive care.  And yes, some people will die from viral pneumonia.

Alas, this was the sorry state of my knowledge while working in the hospital as a radiologist.  As you will see below, we have excellent repurposed drugs for treatment of viral respiratory illness.  Ivermectin, Hydroxychloroquine, Zinc, and Azithromycin among others have been used with great success.

However, for the moment let us consider herbal formulas as antivirals.

Above image Elberberries (sambucus) courtesy of Wikimedia commons.

Although modern medicine has made considerable progress in antiviral drug discovery such as Acyclovir for Herpes virus, most cultures and ethnic groups on the planet have successfully used anti-viral medicinal plants for thousands of years for prevention and treatment of a viral disease. The mechanism is fusion inhibition, which prevents attachment of the viral capsule to the host cell membrane, thus preventing entrance of virus into the cell where replication takes place.

Stephen Harrod Buhner Antiviral HerbalsHerbal AntiVirals By Stephen Buhner

The Influenza Epidemic of 1918

An excellent book on this topic was written in 2013 by Stephen Harrod Buhner on Herbal AntiVirals.  This book has an excellent discussion of the Influenza epidemic of 1918 and discusses various herbal treatments for various viral diseases as well in depth discussion of each herbal.  I must say the book is impressive for a number of reasons.  One is the extensive reference to the medical literature as well as the ethnic herbal literature, pulling usually separated sources together.  My only quibble is that reference numbers are missing in the text, so one is forced to search through the bibliography to find the reference if interested in reading it.  According to Dr. Buhner’s book, the three top anti-viral herbals are Elderberry, Licorice Root and Chinese Skull cap.  Left Image Courtesy of Stephen Harrod Buhner author of Antiviral Herbals. 

Elderberry Syrup

Perhaps the most widely available of the antiviral botanicals is Black Elderberry Syrup, which can be found at most health food stores and markets.  Nature’s Way offers a children’s version of Elderberry .  This is just the thing for little kids who pick up a new bug every week at child day care.

Licorice Root

Licorice Root is widely available at most health food stores as capsules or tinctures.  One must be careful to avoid the DGL (deglycyrrhizinated licorice root) as this form has the active ingredient removed.  Douglas Labs offers a licorice capsule which Dr Buhner recommends: Licorice Root-V,  standardized to 12% glycyrrhizin per each 500 mg capsule.  I have given this product to family members during viral illness with good results.  Licorice Root is also available from various herbal apothecaries as tinctures.  More on that later.

Chinese Skullcap

Dr Buhner reminds us to avoid the American Skullcap which is a different species and less effective than Chinese skullcap which contains the active ingredients Baicalin and Baicalein.  American skullcap is called Scutellaria lateriflora whereas the correct one, the Chinese skullcap, is called Scutellaria baicalensis.  The Chinese Skullcap comes as a dried root, and best used as a tincture prepared in alcohol.   Dr Buhner lists a number of herbal apothecaries that he likes for the tinctures.

Woodland Essence Licorice SkullcapWoodland Essence

offers a number of tinctures. I ordered the separate tinctures for Baikal Skullcap (Chinese skullcap) and the Licorice dried root tincture. (see image at left).  I made tea with hot water and both tinctures mixed with Black Elderberry Syrup to help get over a flu big I had.  I think it helped, as I felt better after each dose of tea. Woodland Essence Web Site.

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Elk Mountain Herbs

Located in Laramie Wyoming, Elk Mountain Herbs offers a product called Elderberry Plus (see image at left). This contains   concentrated elderberry tea, raw cheyenne honey, tinctures of boneset, Baikal Skullcap, ginger and fresh lemon juice.  I ordered the licorice root tincture separately, as together this contains most of the antiviral ingredients recommended in Dr Buhner’s book.  Perhaps the honey and lemon juice makes this the best tasting  and palatable  of this group.

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Elk Mountain Herbs

Here is the label (left image) on their bottle of Elderberry Plus from Elk Mountain Herbals.  Ingredients include Baical Skullcap,Sida, Ginger, Boneset and raw honey.

 


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Sage Woman Consulting and Apothecary

Sage Woman Consulting offers the EBV formula  which is perhaps the most true to Dr Buhner’s herbal anti-viral recipe, as you can see from the label.  This EBV formula contains the top ingredients, the Scutellaria baicalensis (Chinese skulcap), and glycyrrhiza glabra (Licorice Root) .  In addition a host of other anti-virals are added:Isais indigota, Rhodiola rocea, Ganodermum lucidum, Lomatium dissectum, Pueraria rhizome.

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Although the name EBV, refers to Epstein Barr Virus, the formulas are similar so this may also be used for most other viruses such as Influenza, RSV, respiratory syncytial virus etc.

Unlike the other two web sites which are solely ordering sites and do not return phone calls, Sage Woman Consulting actually called me back to discuss my order.

Other Remedies for Viral Infection- Influenza

The above list of herbal anti-virals is by no means final, as there are perhaps hundreds more, such as ginger, Olive Leaf, Garlic, Artemisinin, Berberine, Monolaurin, Humic Acid, Lactoferrin, Thymoquinine, Colostrum, vitamin C, Vitamin D,  etc.  A study by Dr. M Salem showed thymoquinone from black seed oil exhibited a striking antiviral effect against CMV infection (cytomegalovirus) “(1)

Vitamin C for Influenza

One should remember the importance of vitamin C  and other nutients for influenza prevention and treatment as discussed in a previous article.(29-32)

Vitamin D for Influenza Prevention

A good Vitamin D3 level  prevents viral infection as discussed in a previous article.(35)

Repurposed Drugs for Treating Viral Upper Respiratory Infections

I would like you to read this quote from an orthopedic surgeon,  Lee Merritt,  ” The Treatment of Viral Diseases: Has the Truth Been Suppressed For Decades ? by Lee D Merritt MD. J Amer Phys and Surg 25.3.”

The Untreatable Viral Diseases, or Are They?

Dr. Merritt writes about her early medical school days in 1976, indoctrinated in the medical dogma that viral diseases are “untreatable”.  Dr. Merritt believed this for many years until the recent COVID-19 pandemic made her aware of old research showing Hydroxychloroquine, Azithromycin and Zinc highly effective for treatment of viral disease:

Since I started medical school in 1976, until 2020, I have heard the dogma that viral diseases are not treatable….certainly not with antimicrobials…. Since viral diseases are not  treatable, our only weapon is vaccination.…Consider that the entire $69 billion-per-year vaccine industry is based on “preventing” viral diseases that are otherwise “untreatable”—like  viral  influenza A, measles, etc. If a cheap and effective treatment is available for these illnesses, the entire vaccine industry crashes down like a house of cards [emphasis mine]…

Based on the currently available science, it is probable that treatment with HCQ [Hydroxychloroquine] in patients with severe influenza and ILI [Influenza like Illness] could have saved millions of Americans from dying. And people within the inner circle of pharmaceutical research must have known this [emphasis mine].  Pharmaceutical firms employ thousands of virologists and infectious disease experts. Are we to believe they failed to read and pursue the relevant viral research?… How could all our medical education “overlook” this basic science? It may be difficult for non-physicians to appreciate the magnitude of this world-shaking scientific omission—and probable cover-up. It is the pharmaceutical equivalent of being told for 40 years the world is flat—only to have it conclusively exposed overnight to be round. This idea that viruses—like the current pandemic SARS-CoV-2 virus—can be killed by commonly used drugs—antibiotics, antimalarial, or antiparasitic agents—profoundly changes the practice of medicine…

The COVID-19 pandemic is calling attention to the potential for treating viral diseases with currently available drugs, and exposing long-available but ignored research. The implications of all this are very disturbing. Where have the virologists been, and the CDC “experts” who claim to care about influenza deaths?  Has the burgeoning nearly trillion-dollar vaccine industry been built at the expense of patients’ lives? (end quote Dr. Merrit)

Crashing Down Like a House of Cards

The extraordinary thing about Dr. Merritt’s testimony is the astonishing fact she was kept in the dark for decades (most of her medical career), with no knowledge of repurposed drugs as highly effective antiviral treatment.  This suppression of knowledge, and even government interference with prescribing repurposed drugs for anti-viral treatment is not an isolated event, and happens in other fields of medicine, particularly oncology and cancer treatment.

So-called “untreatable” viral diseases can be treated with highly effective repurposed drugs.  They just don’t know about it.  The knowledge has been suppressed.  As Dr. Merritt points out, should knowledge and use of repurposed drugs for viral disease become widespread in the medical community, the vaccine industry is at risk, since many vaccines target viral disease, and vaccine use depends on having “no other effective treatment.”

Jeffrey  Dach MD
7450 Griffin Road Suite 180/190
Davie, Florida 33314
954 792-4663

Book on Amazon

Buhner, Stephen Harrod. Herbal Antivirals: Natural Remedies for Emerging & Resistant Viral Infections

Articles with Related Interest:

Effective Early Treatment for Corona Virus

Vitamin C saves Man Dying of Viral Pneumonia

The Amazing Olive Leaf

Natural treatments for Herpes

Antibiotic Resistant Super Bugs

Links and References

1) CMV  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10884593
Int J Immunopharmacol. 2000 Sep;22(9):729-40.
Protective effect of black seed oil from Nigella sativa against murine cytomegalovirus infection.Salem ML1, Hossain MS.
In this study, antiviral effect of black seed oil (BSO) from Nigella sativa was investigated using murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) as a model. The viral load and innate immunity mediated by NK cells and Mφ during early stage of the infection were analyzed. Intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of BSO to BALB/c mice, a susceptible strain of MCMV infection, strikingly inhibited the virus titers in spleen and liver on day 3 of infection with 1×10(5) PFU MCMV. This effect coincided with an increase in serum level of IFN-gamma. Although BSO treatment decreased both number and cytolytic function of NK cells on day 3 of infection, it increased numbers of Mφ and CD4(+) T cells. On day 10 of infection, the virus titer was undetectable in spleen and liver of BSO-treated mice, while it was detectable in control mice. Although spleen of both control and BSO-treated mice showed similar CTL activities on day 10 after infection, serum level of IFN-gamma in BSO-treated mice was higher. Furthermore, BSO treatment upregulated suppressor function of Mφ in spleen. These results show that BSO exhibited a striking antiviral effect against MCMV infection which may be mediated by increasing of Mφ number and function, and IFN-gamma production.

2) http://www.herbalmedicinehealing.com/php

Herbal Medicine Healing , Stephen Harrod Buhner is an Earth poet and the award-winning author of ten books on nature, indigenous cultures, the environment, and herbal medicine. He comes from a long line of healers including Leroy Burney, Surgeon General of the United States under Eisenhower and Kennedy, and Elizabeth Lusterheide, a midwife and herbalist who worked in rural Indiana in the early nineteenth century. The greatest influence on his work, however,has been his great-grandfather C.G. Harrod who primarily used botanical medicines, also in rural Indiana, when he began his work as a physician in 1911

3) Jassim, S. A. A., and Mazen A. Naji. “Novel antiviral agents: a medicinal plant perspective.” Journal of Applied Microbiology 95.3 (2003): 412-427.    Novel antiviral agents medicinal plant perspective Journal Applied Microbiology Jassim and Mazen 2003

Virtually   all   cultures   around   the   globe   have   relied historically,  and  continue  to  rely  on  medicinal  plants  for primary health care.

4)  J Ethnopharmacol. 1995 Dec 1;49(2):101-10. Antiviral screening of British Columbian medicinal plants. McCutcheon AR1, Roberts TE, Gibbons E, Ellis SM, Babiuk LA, Hancock RE, Towers GH.
One hundred methanolic plant extracts were screened for antiviral activity against seven viruses. Twelve extracts were found to have antiviral activity at the non-cytotoxic concentrations tested. The extracts of Rosa nutkana and Amelanchier alnifolia, both members of the Rosaceae, were very active against an enteric coronavirus. A root extract of another member of the Rosaceae, Potentilla arguta, completely inhibited respiratory syncytial virus. A Sambucus racemosa branch tip extract was also very active against respiratory syncytial virus while the inner bark extract of Oplopanax horridus partially inhibited this virus. An extract of Ipomopsis aggregata demonstrated very good activity against parainfluenza virus type 3. A Lomatium dissectum root extract completely inhibited the cytopathic effects of rotavirus. In addition to these, extracts prepared from the following plants exhibited antiviral activity against herpesvirus type 1: Cardamine angulata, Conocephalum conicum, Lysichiton americanum, Polypodium glycyrrhiza and Verbascum thapsus.

5)  Ganjhu, Rajesh Kumar, et al. “Herbal plants and plant preparations as remedial approach for viral diseases.” Virusdisease 26.4 (2015): 225-236.

6) Lin, Liang-Tzung, Wen-Chan Hsu, and Chun-Ching Lin. “Antiviral natural products and herbal medicines.” Journal of traditional and complementary medicine 4.1 (2014): 24-35.

7) http://www.wildernesscollege.com/antiviral-herbs.html
Antiviral Herbs by Gabe Garms

8) https://draxe.com/antiviral-herbs/
Use Antiviral Herbs to Boost Immune System & Fight Infection

9) J Altern Complement Med. 1995 Winter;1(4):361-9. Inhibition of several strains of influenza virus in vitro and reduction of symptoms by an elderberry extract (Sambucus nigra L.) during an outbreak of influenza B Panama. Zakay-Rones Z1, Varsano N, Zlotnik M, Manor O, Regev L, Schlesinger M, Mumcuoglu M.

10)  Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2005 Sep; 2(3): 309–314.
Echinacea: a Miracle Herb against Aging and Cancer? Evidence In vivo in Mice. Sandra C. Miller
Echinacea has been viewed as an immunoenhancing herb since it became commercially available several years ago. Indeed, its medicinal significance is responsible for billions of dollars in worldwide sales annually. Unfortunately, most of the ‘evidence’ for the purported medicinal efficacy of Echinacea has been anecdotal and, moreover, to this day, there is no formal proof on how to achieve the best results—whether it should be consumed daily throughout life as a prophylactic; consumed by either young or old; or consumed after diseases, such as cancer, have taken hold. Our work over the past 5 years has led to conclusive answers to some of these questions, at least in mice. Our results have shown that daily consumption of Echinacea is indeed prophylactic, extends the life span of aging mice, significantly abates leukemia and extends the life span of leukemic mice. Given that humans are 97% genetically common with mice and that virtually all our basic physiology is identical, it is neither unjustified to extrapolate these observations to humans nor would it be an arduous task to perform many of these studies in humans, thus establishing viable scientific evidence replacing the anecdotal.

11) Bing Du Xue Bao. 2013 Nov;29(6):673-9. [Anti-virus research of triterpenoids in licorice].
[Article in Chinese] Pu JY1, He L2, Wu SY2, Zhang P2, Huang X2.
Licorice is a leguminous plant of glycyrrhiza. It is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine. Triterpenoid is one of the mainly active components of licorice. In recent years, the broad-spectrum antiviral activity of many triterpenoids in licorice was confirmed, and these findings have become a hot spot of antiviral immunity. The triterpenoids of licorice has the potential to become a novel broad-spectrum antiviral medicine and will be widely used in the clinical treatment. This review provided a summary of the recent anti-virus research progress on several triterpenoids in licorice, such as glycyrrhizic acid, glycyrrhizin, glycyrrhetinic acid and its derivatives. The antiviral roles of triterpenoids in licorice against herpes virus, HIV, hepatitis virus, SARS coronavirus and influenza virus were briefly summarized.

12)  Cheel, José, et al. “Free radical-scavenging, antioxidant and immunostimulating effects of a licorice infusion (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.).” Food chemistry 122.3 (2010): 508-517.

13)  Herbal Medicine: Influenza Pandemics and the Cytokine Storm by Michele and edited by Bam Bam February 26, 2014 By M.D. Creekmore.  Elderberry keeps the virus from attaching to the cell walls so it is unable to enter the cell and replicate.

Anti-viral Botanicals

14)  Douglas Laboratories – Licorice Root-V (with Glycyrrhizin)

Lomatium

15) https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/abstract/10.1055/s-0033-1348747

Planta Med 2013; 79 – PN66 Lomatium dissectum DECREASEs CXCL10 CHEMOKINE production in poly I:C-stimulated BEAS-2B human bronchial epithelial cells CA Wenner 1, D Zamechek 1, E Yarnell 1 1Bastyr University, Kenmore, WA 98028 Congress Abstract

Lomatium dissectum is a plant native to the Western U.S. widely used in the Native American culture and used traditionally to treat influenza. Worldwide, 3 to 5 million severe cases of influenza infection occur annually leading to 250,000 – 500,000 fatalities. Severe cases often result from fluid build-up in the lower respiratory tract leading to secondary pneumonia. Evidence suggests that cytokine and chemokine dysregulation is the primary factor leading to secondary pneumonia. Overproduction of the chemokine CXCL10 plays an important role in the pathogenicity of influenza. This study was conducted to address the hypothesis that a water extract of L. dissectum inhibits CXCL10 production by human bronchial epithelial cells stimulated with poly I:C (a TLR3 agonist and synthetic analog of viral dsRNA). BEAS-2B human bronchial epithelial cells treated with poly I:C were either treated simultaneously with L. dissectum water extract at increasing concentrations from 1 – 10 µg/ml, or at 2 hr intervals for 8 hr at 1 µg/ml. Supernatants were harvested at 24 hr and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) performed to determine secreted CXCL10 concentrations. L. dissectum extract significantly inhibited (p,0.05, Anova, Tukey HSD) CXCL10 secretion dose-dependently and was most effective 6 hr post poly I:C exposure. Given that overproduction of CXCL10 is implicated in the pathogenesis of influenza, the observation that L. dissectum extract inhibits CXCL10 provides a possible mechanism for the efficacy of L. dissectum for influenza treatment observed in ethnobotanical research and case reports. L. dissectum may reduce morbidity and mortality associated with influenza and merits further research.

Case of Allergic Rash from Lomatium Reported

16) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5962321/
Marshall, Kenneth D., and Stephen L. Thornton. “Worse than the Disease? The Rash of Lomatium Dissectum.” WHAT’S INSIDE: ORIGINAL RESEARCH• CASESTUDIES (2018): 54.

ginger root fresh juice (see article below)

17) Chang, J. S., et al. “Fresh ginger (Zingiber officinale) has anti-viral activity against human respiratory syncytial virus in human respiratory tract cell lines.Journal of ethnopharmacology 145.1 (2013): 146.

Ginger, Zingiber officinale Roscoe, is a common spice and also a widely used medicinal plant in ancient China. Ginger is an ingredient of Ge-Gen-Tang (Kakkon-to; GGT). GGT has been proved to have antiviral activity against human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV). However, it is unknown whether ginger is effective against HRSV.
AIM OF THE STUDY:To find a readily available agent to manage HRSV infection, the authors tested the hypothesis that ginger can effectively decrease HRSV-induced plaque formation in respiratory mucosal cell lines.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:Effect of hot water extracts of fresh and dried gingers on HRSV was tested by plaque reduction assay in both human upper (HEp-2) and low (A549) respiratory tract cell lines. Ability of ginger to stimulate anti-viral cytokines was evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
RESULTS:Fresh ginger dose-dependently inhibited HRSV-induced plaque formation in both HEp-2 and A549 cell lines (p<0.0001). In contrast, dried ginger didn’t show any dose-dependent inhibition. 300 µg/ml fresh ginger could decrease the plaque counts to 19.7% (A549) and 27.0% (HEp-2) of that of the control group. Fresh ginger was more effective when given before viral inoculation (p<0.0001), particularly on A549 cells. 300 µg/ml fresh ginger could decrease the plaque formation to 12.9% when given before viral inoculation. Fresh ginger dose-dependently inhibited viral attachment (p<0.0001) and internalization (p<0.0001). Fresh ginger of high concentration could stimulate mucosal cells to secrete IFN-ß that possibly contributed to counteracting viral infection.
CONCLUSIONS: Fresh, but not dried, ginger is effective against HRSV-induced plaque formation on airway epithelium by blocking viral attachment and internalization.

18)  deleted

Skullcap baicalensis root

19) (www.elkmountainherbs.com)

20) (www.woodlandessence.com).

21) Book by Buhner, Stephen Harrod. Herbal Antivirals: Natural Remedies for Emerging & Resistant Viral Infections

“Respiratory Syncytial Virus Respiratory syncytial virus is also a single-strand, enveloped RNA virus with high variation in its genome. It is a very common infection, especially in young children, throughout the world. It causes bronchiolitis and other types of respiratory infections, especially in the lower respiratory tract. It generally presents as a common cold but can sometimes become serious, turning into pneumonia if left untreated. The herbs specific for respiratory syncytial virus infections are Chinese skullcap, Eleutherococcus senticosus, elder, isatis, licorice, and Sophora flavescens. Other herbs found active are Barleria prionitis, Blumea laciniata, Elephantopus scaber, Laggera pterodonta, Markhamia lutea, Mussaenda pubescens, Narcissus tazetta, Selaginella sinensis, Scutellaria indica, and Schefflera octophylla (in vitro). Treatment: The same as for mild influenza. If it becomes serious, the same as for moderate to severe influenza.”endquote book

22) Yarnell, Eric. “Herbs for Emerging Viral Infectious Diseases.” Alternative and Complementary Therapies 22.4 (2016): 164-174.
Several coronavirus (severe acute respiratory syndrome [SARS], Middle East respiratory syndrome [MERS]), flavivirus (yellow fever, West Nile, dengue, Zika), and alphavirus (chikungunya, Ebola) infections have, in the past 10–20 years, emerged or reemerged as major problems across large regions of the globe. While, currently, many of these infections are confined to the tropics, global warming, the spread of some mosquito vectors northward, and emergence of temperate-tolerant pathogens such as West Nile virus mean that these problems are increasingly affecting the global north as well. After discussing mosquito-based preventions for the zoonotic infections mentioned in this article, a review of herbal responses to the SARS and MERS epidemics are highlighted. Houttuynia cordata (houttuynia, yú xīng cǎo) and Glycyrrhiza spp. (licorice) stand out as particularly interesting single herbs for addressing these coronavirus infections. Herbal approaches to flavivirus infections, most notably clinical trials of Carica papaya (papaya) leaves for treating dengue fever, are reviewed. A discussion of many of the extensive range of herbs studied to treat flaviviruses in preclinical studies is provided. Potential herbal treatments for alphavirus infections are then presented.

23) Discovery of berberine, abamectin and ivermectin as antivirals against chikungunya and other alphaviruses. ….Varghese, F. S., et al. “Discovery of berberine, abamectin and ivermectin as antivirals against chikungunya and other alphaviruses.” Antiviral research 126 (2016): 117-124.

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an arthritogenic arbovirus of the Alphavirus genus, which has infected millions of people after its re-emergence in the last decade. In this study, a BHK cell line containing a stable CHIKV replicon with a luciferase reporter was used in a high-throughput platform to screen approximately 3000 compounds. Following initial validation, 25 compounds were chosen as primary hits for secondary validation with wild type and reporter CHIKV infection, which identified three promising compounds. Abamectin (EC50 = 1.5 μM) and ivermectin (EC50 = 0.6 μM) are fermentation products generated by a soil dwelling actinomycete, Streptomyces avermitilis, whereas berberine (EC50 = 1.8 μM) is a plant-derived isoquinoline alkaloid. They inhibited CHIKV replication in a dose-dependent manner and had broad antiviral activity against other alphaviruses–Semliki Forest virus and Sindbis virus. Abamectin and ivermectin were also active against yellow fever virus, a flavivirus. These compounds caused reduced synthesis of CHIKV genomic and antigenomic viral RNA as well as downregulation of viral protein expression. Time of addition experiments also suggested that they act on the replication phase of the viral infectious cycle.

24) Bioorg Med Chem Lett. 2007 Mar 15;17(6):1562-4. Antiviral activity of berberine and related compounds against human cytomegalovirus.Hayashi K1, Minoda K, Nagaoka Y, Hayashi T, Uesato S.
Berberine chloride (1) and the structurally related compounds were assessed for the anti-human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) activity using the plaque assay. The anti-HCMV activity (IC(50) 0.68 microM) of 1 was equivalent to that (IC(50) 0.91 microM) of ganciclovir (GCV). The mechanism of action by which 1 inhibits the replication of HCMV is presumed to be different from that of GCV; 1 would interfere with intracellular events after virus penetration into the host cells and before viral DNA synthesis.

25) Arch Virol. 2010 Dec;155(12):1933-41. Anti-herpes simplex virus effects of berberine from Coptidis rhizoma, a major component of a Chinese herbal medicine, Ching-Wei-San.
Chin LW1, Cheng YW, Lin SS, Lai YY, Lin LY, Chou MY, Chou MC, Yang CC.
Berberine is an alkaloid extracted from Coptidis rhizome. Among the individual herbal components of a Chinese herb medicine, Ching-Wei-San, Coptidis Rhizoma has the most potent antimicrobial activity. By high-pressure liquid chromatography, the quantitative analysis of berberine from 6.25-mg/mL (w/v) Coptidis rhizome extract or 50.00-mg/mL (w/v) Ching-Wei-San was determined to be 0.26 mg/mL. To explore the potential use of Ching-Wei-San against herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection, the cytotoxicity, anti-HSV-1 and anti-HSV-2 activity in Vero cells were assayed. The selectivity index of berberine was about 1.2-1.5 times higher than that of Coptidis rhizome extract and Ching-Wei-San. Moreover, the antiviral activities correspond to the content of berberine in the aqueous solution. Berberine may interfere with the viral replication cycle after virus penetration and no later than the viral DNA synthesis step, and its activities were not affected by the preparation processes. Berberine, the natural plants that contain this component, including Coptidis rhizome, and Ching-Wei-San have all shown anti-HSV effects.

26) Chin J Integr Med. 2011 Jun;17(6):444-52. In vivo and in vitro antiviral effects of berberine on influenza virus.Wu Y1, Li JQ, Kim YJ, Wu J, Wang Q, Hao Y.
To explore the potential effects of berberine on influenza virus infection both in vitro and in vivo.
METHODS:In vitro anti-influenza virus assays were performed by cytopathogenic effect and neuraminidase assays in Madin Darby canine kidney cells. In vivo anti-influenza virus assays were performed on the viral pneumonia model of mice. The numbers of mice that died within day 2 to day 14 postinfection were recorded to calculate the mortality. On days 2, 4, and 6, the viral titers in the lungs were determined by hemagglutination assay; hematoxylin/eosin staining was used to assess the pathogenic changes of lung tissues; the concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and monocyte specific chemoattractant molecule (MCP-1) were measured by radio immunoassay or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; the concentrations of nitric oxide (NO) and inducible nitric oxide synthetase (iNOS) were detected by colorimetric method; reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the mRNA level of TNF-α and MCP-1.
RESULTS: Berberine showed inhibitory effects on cytopathogenic effects and neuraminidase activity of virus, with the therapeutic index 9.69. In vivo, berberine decreased mice mortality from 90% to 55%, reduced virus titers in the lungs on day 2 postinfection (P<0.05). The lung histology scores were 1.50 ± 0.67, 4.50 ± 1.00, and 5.50 ± 1.00 in the berberine group on days 2, 4, and 6, respectively, which were significantly reduced compared to 2.17 ± 0.22, 6.83 ± 0.44, and 8.50 ± 0.33 in the infected group (P<0.05). The productions of NO and iNOS were repressed by berberine compared with those in the infected group (P<0.01). The transcription and expression of TNF-α were inhibited by berberine on day 4 (P<0.01) and day 6 (P<0.05), and those of MCP-1 were inhibited on day 6 (P<0.01) compared with the infected group.
CONCLUSIONS: Berberine exhibited antiviral effects on the influenza virus both in vitro and in vivo. The possible therapeutic mechanism of berberine on influenza-induced viral pneumonia might be inhibiting the virus infection, as well as improving the pathogenic changes by repressing inflammatory substances release.

Lomatium

27) HISTORY OF LOMATIUM DISSECTUM Dr. Krebs Uses Lomatium for Influenza Epidemic .  The Following is Verbatim From: Bulletin of the Nevada State Board of Health, No. 1 , Carson City, Nevada , January, 1920.  MTN. Oaks, LLC. PO Box 155 • Doyle CA 96109.

Chinese Skullcap

28) Chinese Skullcap Monograph: The Sunlight Experiment

Scutellaria baicalensis (Chinese skullcap) is the preferred antiviral species by herbalist Stephen Buhner. He reports the roots act as a broad antiviral. The mechanism of actions are through inhibiting hem-agglutinin and neuraminidase, inhibiting viral replication, inhibiting viral fusion with cells, cytoprotective against viral-initiates cytokines, reduces the expression of the viral matrix protein gene, inhibiting viral release from infected cells, inhibiting viral cytokine cascades, and increases apoptosis of virus infected cells, and finally via direct virucidal actions. ….Scutellaria baicalensis flavonoids (especially oroxylin A) has been found to have anti-inflammatory (and subsequent anti-cancer) actions [11, 12]. It has been found to possess inhibitory actions against such inflammatory cytokines as TNF-alpha, and IL-6 [10]. Wogonin, and baicalein were both found to be direct COX-2 inhibitors [20].end quote

 Vitamin C for Influenza

29) Gonzalez, Michael & Berdiel, Miguel & Duconge, Jorge & Levy, Thomas & Alfaro, Ines & Morales, Raul & Marcial, Victor & Olalde, Jose. (2018). High Dose Intravenous Vitamin C and Influenza: A Case Report. Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine. 33. 1-3. January 2018

30) Kim, Yejin, et al. “Vitamin C is an essential factor on the anti-viral immune responses through the production of interferon-α/β at the initial stage of influenza A virus (H3N2) infection.” Immune network 13.2 (2013): 70-74.
L-ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is one of the well-known anti-viral agents, especially to influenza virus. Since the in vivo anti-viral effect is still controversial, we investigated whether vitamin C could regulate influenza virus infection in vivo by using Gulo (-/-) mice, which cannot synthesize vitamin C like humans.

First, we found that vitamin C-insufficient Gulo (-/-) mice expired within 1 week after intranasal inoculation of influenza virus (H3N2/Hongkong). Viral titers in the lung of vitamin C-insufficient Gulo (-/-) mice were definitely increased but production of anti-viral cytokine, interferon (IFN)-α/β, was decreased. On the contrary, the infiltration of inflammatory cells into the lung and production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-α/β, were increased in the lung. Taken together, vitamin C shows in vivo anti-viral immune responses at the early time of infection, especially against influenza virus, through increased production of IFN-α/β.

31)  Cheng, L., et al. “Pharmacologic ascorbate treatment of influenza in vivo.” Zhonghua jie he he hu xi za zhi= Zhonghua jiehe he huxi zazhi= Chinese journal of tuberculosis and respiratory diseases 37.5 (2014): 356-359.
To investigate the effects of pharmacologic ascorbate (vitamin C) against Influenza A/CA/7/09 (H1N12009).
METHODS: BALB/c mice inoculated intranasally with influenza virus were treated with ascorbate (3 mg/g) twice daily by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection for up to 14 d. Control groups received an equivalent volume of normal saline. Body weights were measured daily. To quantify the level of viral replication in the respiratory tract, the mice were euthanized and lungs removed and prepared as whole lung homogenates.Viral titers were determined by TCID50 assay in MDCK cells. Cytokine titers were determined by ELISA following the manufacturer’s protocol (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, IFN-α). For lung histopathologic evaluation, lungs were fixed with 10% neutral-buffered formalin at time of isolation, and then coded, processed into paraffin blocks, sectioned onto glass slides and stained (hematoxylin and eosin).Slides were examined and scored by a pathologist.
RESULTS:  Mice infected with influenza virus and treated with pharmacologic ascorbate had higher survival and less weight loss, and had lung viral titers reduced by as much as 10 to 100-fold compared to the controls. Pathologic study of the lungs showed that the treated animals had little inflammation (bronchiolitis, perivasculitis, alveolitis, and vasculitis) compared to the controls.IL-1, IL-6, and IFN-alpha lung levels were lower in the treated animals compared to the controls.
CONCLUSION: Pharmacologic ascorbate is a pro-oxidant that eliminates influenza virus in the lung, and therefore reduces lung inflammation and lowers death rate in this mouse model.

32) Cheng, L. L., et al. “An in vitro study on the pharmacological ascorbate treatment of influenza virus.” Zhonghua jie he he hu xi za zhi= Zhonghua jiehe he huxi zazhi= Chinese journal of tuberculosis and respiratory diseases 35.7 (2012): 520-523.

33) Dhama, Kuldeep, et al. “Medicinal and therapeutic potential of herbs and plant metabolites/extracts countering viral pathogens-Current knowledge and future prospects.” Current drug metabolism 19.3 (2018): 236-263.

34) Mousa, Haider Abdul-Lateef. “Prevention and treatment of influenza, influenza-like illness, and common cold by herbal, complementary, and natural therapies.” Journal of evidence-based complementary & alternative medicine 22.1 (2017): 166-174.

Many herbal therapies have scientific evidence of activity against respiratory viruses. The herbal medicines, such as maoto, licorice roots, antiwei, North American ginseng, elderberry, Echinacea, pomegranate, guava tea, and Bai Shao, were found effective in the treatment of upper respiratory tract infections. The studies revealed several mechanisms of action by which herbal extracts fight respiratory viruses. Some dietary supplements also revealed efficacy in prevention and treatment of respiratory viral infections. Supplements including zinc, selenium, vitamin C, probiotics, seaweed extract, yeast-based product, and garlic extract, demonstrated supportive effects against respiratory viruses. There was evidence from in vitro studies and historical observation showing an effect of alkaline medium against respiratory viruses. However, no animal or human clinical trials were found. From experimental studies, earthing revealed anti-inflammatory effects and immunity enhancement. No previous studies were found regarding the effects of earthing in patients with influenza or upper respiratory tract infections. Future studies are recommended to investigate the possible role of alkaline diets or drinks, and earthing for prevention and treatment of respiratory viral infections especially in cases of intractable influenza.

Vitamin D

35) Cannell, J. J., et al. “Epidemic influenza and vitamin D.” Epidemiology & Infection 134.6 (2006): 1129-1140.

36) Lemon Balm – LEMON BALM LEAF TINCTURE at Sage Woman Herbals

This tincture of fresh Melissa officinalis leaf was made using organic gluten free cane alcohol, pure vegetable glycerine and ultra-filtered water, using the Fresh Maceration process (1:6, 95%)

Dosage: 60 drops or 2 droppers or 1/2 teaspoon, 2-3 times a day

37) Bergner, P. Antiviral Botanicals in Herbal Medicine. Medical Herbalism (Spring 2005) Bergner Antiviral Botanicals in Herbal Medicine Medical Herbalism Spring 2005

38)  Ann Intern Med. 1986 Jul;105(1):139.
Cimetidine, ranitidine, and Epstein-Barr virus infection.

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AntiViral Herbals
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AntiViral Herbals
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AntiViral Herbals are more effective than Drugs
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5 thoughts on “AntiViral Herbals

  1. Pingback: Les antiviraux à base de plantes – LymeCombat

  2. The positive effect of monolaurin should not be left out of this discussion. It has been proven highly effective in killing lipid coated viruses and bacterial infection. I have been taking this product for almost 8 years. During that time I have never been ill.
    There have been studies done that prove this even significantly lowered viral loads in HIV patients. A potent defensive addition to anyone’s daily supplements

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