Antiviral Potential of the Genus Panax: An updated review on their effects and underlying mechanism of action.

Viral infections are known as one of the major factors causing death. Ginseng is a medicinal plant that demonstrated a wide range of antiviral potential, and saponins are the major bioactive ingredients in the genus Panax with vast therapeutic potential. Studies focusing on the antiviral activity of the genus Panax plant-derived agents (extracts and saponins) and their mechanisms were identified and summarized, including contributions mainly from January 2016 until January 2022. P. ginseng, P. notoginseng, and P. quinquefolius were included in the review as valuable medicinal herbs against infections with 14 types of viruses. Reports from 9 extracts and 12 bioactive saponins were included, with 6 types of protopanaxadiol (PPD) ginsenosides and 6 types of protopanaxatriol (PPT) ginsenosides. The mechanisms mainly involved the inhibition of viral attachment and replication, the modulation of immune response by regulating signaling pathways, including the Janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) pathway, cystathionine γ-lyase (CSE)/hydrogen sulfide (H2S) pathway, phosphoinositide-dependent kinase-1 (PDK1)/ protein kinase B (Akt) signaling pathway, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)/activator protein-1 (AP-1) pathway, and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) pathway. This review includes detailed information about the mentioned antiviral effects of the genus Panax extracts and saponins in vitro and in vivo, and in human clinical trials, which provides a scientific basis for ginseng as an adjunctive therapeutic drug or nutraceutical.

Polyphenolic-protein-polysaccharide conjugates from Spica of Prunella vulgaris: Chemical profile and anti-herpes simplex virus activities.

Previous studies showed that the water extract (PVW) from Spica of Prunella vulgaris Linn. (Labiatae) exerts anti-herpes simplex virus (HSV) activity. Evaluation the antiviral activity of the graded ethanol precipitations indicated that 30% ethanol precipitate (PVE30) was the active principle of water extract (PVW). Further activity-oriented separation of PVE30 through salting-out method revealed that the anti-HSV activity of P. vulgaris glycoconjugates (PVG) was more potent than PVE30 and PVW, 2-fold and 4-fold, respectively. UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS, FT-IR and NMR techniques identified PVG as a type of polyphenolic-protein-polysaccharides (PPPs) with an average molecular weight of 41.69 kDa. PVG was composed of dibenzylbutyrolactone lignan units, and rich in galacturonic acid, xylose, rhamnose, rhamnose, arabinose, glucose monosaccharide units, glutamic acid and aspartic acid. Further in vitro antiviral testing confirmed that PVG substantially and stably inhibited acyclovir (ACV) resistant HSV strains; its inhibitory action was even better than the positive control ACV. Overall, our findings support PVG as a potential drug resource for anti-HSV therapy.