Influenza

Presentation Slides

Chinese Medicine Research Hub

Experimental Study

Bee-collected pollen and bee bread, particularly when artificially fermented, demonstrate significant antiviral activity against the H1N1 strain of the influenza A virus.

2023 Foods Antiviral Activity of Beebread, Bee-Collected Pollen and Artificially Fermented Pollen against Influenza A Virus
Dimitriou T, Asoutis Didaras N, Barda C, Skopeliti D, Kontogianni K, Karatasou K, Skaltsa H, Mossialos D

Chinese Medicine Research Hub

Systematic Review

Green tea consumption has been found to be effective in preventing the contraction of influenza infections.

2021 Molecules Anti-Influenza with Green Tea Catechins: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Rawangkan A, Kengkla K, Kanchanasurakit S, Duangjai A, Saokaew S

Chinese Medicine Research Hub

Review Article

Traditional Chinese medicine impacts on the prevention and treatment of influenza with potential value in shorting fever durations and alleviating influenza symptoms among children and pregnant women.

2020 Frontiers in Pharmacology Traditional Chinese Medicine in Treating Influenza: From Basic Science to Clinical Applications
Xiong Y, Li NX, Duan N, Liu B, Zhu H, Zhang C, Li L, Lu C, Huang L

Chinese Medicine Research Hub

Review Article

Tea catechins, found in green tea, may reduce the rates of influenza infection and diminish certain cold symptoms.

2018 Molecules Effect of Tea Catechins on Influenza Infection and the Common Cold with a Focus on Epidemiological/Clinical Studies
Furushima D, Ide K, Yamada H

Chinese Medicine Research Hub

Systematic Review

Ma Huang Tang may lower the duration of fever when it is used alone or in combination with neuraminidase inhibitors and may be a well-tolerated treatment.

2018 BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies The use of maoto (Ma-Huang-Tang), a traditional Japanese Kampo medicine, to alleviate flu symptoms: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Yoshino, T., Arita, R., Horiba, Y. et al

Chinese Medicine Research Hub

Meta-Analysis

Compared with oseltamivir, Chinese herbs might have superior potential effects on fever resolution and similar effects on viral shedding.

2016 Journal of the Chinese Medical Association Efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of influenza A (H1N1): A meta-analysis
Li, Jiang-Honga,; Wang, Re-Qina; Guo, Wen-Jieb; Li, Juan-Shengc

Chinese Medicine Research Hub

Network Pharmacology

Manuka honey exhibits significant anti-influenza viral activity, inhibiting replication with virucidal effects. Combining manuka honey with existing drugs enhances their efficacy, suggesting its medicinal potential.

2014 Archives of Medical Research Anti-influenza Viral Effects of Honey In Vitro: Potent High Activity of Manuka Honey
Watanabe K, Rahmasari R, Matsunaga A, Haruyama T, Kobayashi N

Chinese Medicine Research Hub

Network Pharmacology

Honey, in general, and particularly manuka honey, has potent inhibitory activity against the influenza virus, demonstrating a potential medicinal value.

2014 Archives of Medical Research Anti-influenza Viral Effects of Honey In Vitro: Potent High Activity of Manuka Honey
Watanabe K, Rahmasari R, Matsunaga A, Haruyama T, Kobayashi N

Chinese Medicine Research Hub

Systematic Review

Most Chinese medical herbs in the included studies showed similar effects to antiviral drugs in preventing or treating influenza.

2013 Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews Chinese medicinal herbs for influenza
Jiang L, Deng L, Wu T.

Executive Summary

Write an executive summary in the form of a blog article on the topic of "Research into Chinese medicine treatment for Influenza" summarising the research below and using language that can be easily understood by patients and avoiding medical jargon using a professional and caring tone of voice.

Write an executive summary in the form of a blog article on the topic of "Researched Chinese medicine treatments for Influenza" summarising the research below in an objective and easy to understand way, and using language that can be easily understood by patients. Group the article into Chinese medicine treatments first, followed by nutrition and other treatments. Avoid using medical jargon and use a professional and caring tone of voice.

Write me a concise but easy to understand executive summary on the topic of "Chinese medicine treatments for Influenza" based on the following research that I will give you. Your summary should be 2 paragraphs long in Australian English spelling and include references to the studies.

A Experimental Study published in 2023 in the journal Foods found that Bee-collected pollen and bee bread, particularly when artificially fermented, demonstrate significant antiviral activity against the H1N1 strain of the influenza A virus. The research investigated the antiviral properties of bee-collected pollen (BCP) and bee bread (BB), including versions that had undergone artificial fermentation. The experiment also assessed separate proteins, water content, and -butanol portions of these substances. The analysis evaluated their effectiveness against the H1N1 strain of the influenza A virus (IAV). The antiviral behavior of these materials was taken in lab conditions via a comparative real-time PCR analysis working on their inhibitory concentration and selectivity index. The outcomes revealed artificial fermentation improved the antiviral effectiveness of BCP. The protein fractions within the BCP and BB presented the greatest antiviral activity. Observations also highlighted that the chemical composition, prominent in proteins, and potentially microbiome metabolism determined the antiviral properties of BCP and BB. The chemical profile analysis emphasized the existence of some specialized metabolites that might be contributing towards this antiviral action.

A Systematic Review published in 2021 in the journal Molecules found that Green tea consumption has been found to be effective in preventing the contraction of influenza infections. To identify the potential benefits of green tea in influenza prevention, a methodical review and combined analysis of eight distinct research studies involving 5,048 participants was completed. The effect of green tea catechin treatment was tested against control conditions and assessed based on infection rates. Five of these studies were randomized controlled trials involving 884 participants and three were cohort studies with 2,223 participants. Subgroups such as those who gargled or took orally ingested forms of green tea were also analyzed separately. Further to this, the possibility of publication biases was evaluated using Begg's and Egger's tests. The results showed both the randomized trials and the cohort studies displayed significant preventative effects on influenza infection for those treated with green tea catechins. Notably, there was no evidence of non-uniformity within the data, reinforcing these findings. The pooled results of different consumption methods further supported these findings, showing no disparities among the subgroups. These results suggest the consumption of green tea has tangible prophylactic effects against influenza infection.

A Review Article published in 2020 in the journal Frontiers in Pharmacology found that Traditional Chinese medicine impacts on the prevention and treatment of influenza with potential value in shorting fever durations and alleviating influenza symptoms among children and pregnant women. Influenza infection is a highly contagious, acute febrile respiratory disease caused by the influenza virus. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has dominated plenty of theoretical and practical approaches in the treatment of influenza. It is, therefore, important to highlight the effects of TCM in the clinical treatment of influenza and their impact on inhibiting the growth of this virus in laboratory experiments. We scrutinized existing evidence on whether TCM is effective in clinical applications. Moreover, we described the potential mechanisms of TCM against the influenza virus. Our findings provide analytical evidence that supports the effectiveness of TCM in treating influenza infections as well as their mechanisms against this virus.

A Review Article published in 2018 in the journal Molecules found that Tea catechins, found in green tea, may reduce the rates of influenza infection and diminish certain cold symptoms. The research methodology started with interpreting several experimental studies which reported that tea catechins can inhibit influenza viral adsorption and suppress replication and neuraminidase activity. These catechins were also found effective against some common cold viruses and helped to enhance immunity against such viral infections. Additionally, epidemiological studies conducted since the late 1990s were examined which suggested that regular consumption of green tea may decrease influenza infection rates and some cold symptoms, and gargling with tea catechin could potentially protect against the development of influenza infection. For the discussion of results, the studies collectively showed that tea catechins have potential antiviral activity against influenza and some cold viruses. Although clinical evidence supporting these effects remained unconclusive, the review showed promising trends. The consumption of green tea and gargling with tea catechins could lead to potentially decreased rates of influenza infection and lessened cold symptoms according to the analyzed epidemiological studies.

A Systematic Review published in 2018 in the journal BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies found that Ma Huang Tang may lower the duration of fever when it is used alone or in combination with neuraminidase inhibitors and may be a well-tolerated treatment. Twelve relevant studies were identified, including two randomised controlled trials (RCTs, N = 60) and ten non-randomised studies (NRSs, N = 1110). We found that maoto plus NAIs was superior to NAIs alone in terms of the duration of fever in one RCT and four NRSs. The duration of symptoms or virus isolation did not differ between maoto and NAIs. No severe side effects or adverse reactions were reported related to maoto or NAIs. Although we could not reach a definitive conclusion because of the small sample sizes and high risk of bias in the analysed studies, maoto may lower the duration of fever when it is used alone or in combination with NAIs and may be a well-tolerated treatment. More RCTs are needed to determine the efficacy and safety of maoto.

A Meta-Analysis published in 2016 in the journal Journal of the Chinese Medical Association found that Compared with oseltamivir, Chinese herbs might have superior potential effects on fever resolution and similar effects on viral shedding. In this review, several Chinese herbal medicines demonstrated a potentially positive effect on the influenza A (H1N1) strain, especially on its time to defervescence, as in the studies analyzed, the mean time to defervescence in the TCM treatment group was less than that noted in the control group. Furthermore, the duration of influenza A (H1N1) shedding in the integrated Chinese and Western medicine subgroup was less than that noted in the control group, although existing evidence indicated that the difference in duration of viral shedding and effective rate between the two groups was statistically similar. The applicability of the included studies was limited, however, because their inclusion criteria, interventions, durations, and outcome measures were different. Consequently, more well-designed trials are required.

A Network Pharmacology published in 2014 in the journal Archives of Medical Research found that Manuka honey exhibits significant anti-influenza viral activity, inhibiting replication with virucidal effects. Combining manuka honey with existing drugs enhances their efficacy, suggesting its medicinal potential. This study aimed to address the urgent need for novel anti-influenza drugs by evaluating the anti-viral activity of honey, focusing on manuka honey. Antiviral activities were assessed using MDCK cells, revealing that manuka honey efficiently inhibited influenza virus replication with an IC50 of 3.6 ± 1.2 mg/mL and a CC50 of 82.3 ± 2.2 mg/mL, resulting in a selective index of 22.9. Virucidal effects were identified as the underlying mechanism. Furthermore, combining manuka honey with zanamivir or oseltamivir significantly enhanced their efficacy, showcasing the potential medicinal value of honey, particularly manuka honey, against the influenza virus. The study underscores the potent inhibitory activity of honey, especially manuka honey, against influenza viruses, offering promising medicinal implications. The observed virucidal effects and the synergistic enhancement of known anti-influenza drugs highlight the multifaceted potential of honey in combating influenza infections. Further exploration of the specific mechanisms underlying these effects could contribute to the development of effective anti-influenza therapies.

A Network Pharmacology published in 2014 in the journal Archives of Medical Research found that Honey, in general, and particularly manuka honey, has potent inhibitory activity against the influenza virus, demonstrating a potential medicinal value. Antiviral activities of honey samples were evaluated using MDCK cells. To elucidate the possible mechanism of action of honey, plaque inhibition assays were used. Synergistic effects of honey with known anti-influenza virus drugs such as zanamivir or oseltamivir were tested. Manuka honey efficiently inhibited influenza virus replication (IC50 = 3.6 ± 1.2 mg/mL; CC50 = 82.3 ± 2.2 mg/mL; selective index = 22.9), which is related to its virucidal effects. In the presence of 3.13 mg/mL manuka honey, the IC50 of zanamivir or oseltamivir was reduced to nearly 1/1000th of their single use.

A Systematic Review published in 2013 in the journal Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews found that Most Chinese medical herbs in the included studies showed similar effects to antiviral drugs in preventing or treating influenza. This updated review assessed the therapeutic effects and safety of Chinese medicinal herbs as an alternative and adjunctive therapy to other commonly used drugs for influenza. Eighteen studies involving 2521 participants were included in the review. 'Ganmao' capsules were found to be more effective than amantadine in decreasing influenza symptoms and aiding recovery in one study (in which adverse reactions were mentioned in the amantadine group although no data were reported). There were no significant differences between 'E Shu You' and ribavirin in treating influenza, nor in the occurrence of adverse reactions. The remaining 17 Chinese herbal trials showed a similar effect to antiviral drugs in preventing or treating influenza. However, since these included studies were of poor quality, the evidence does not support or reject the use of any Chinese herbal preparations for influenza. High‐quality trials are required.

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