Patchouli alcohol: in vitro direct anti-influenza virus sesquiterpene in Pogostemon cablin Benth

• Published in: Journal of natural medicines Vol. 66; no. 1; pp. 55 - 61
• Main Authors: Kiyohara, Hiroaki, Ichino, Chikara, Kawamura, Yuka, Nagai, Takayuki, Sato, Noriko, Yamada, Haruki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan Springer-Verlag 01.01.2012; Springer Japan
• Subjects: Animals; Antiviral Agents - chemistry; Antiviral Agents - isolation & purification; Antiviral Agents - pharmacology; antiviral properties; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Cell Line; Chromatography, Gel; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Chromatography, Reverse-Phase; Complementary & Alternative Medicine; Dogs; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; fractionation; herbal medicines; Hexanes - chemistry; Influenza A virus; Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype - drug effects; Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype - enzymology; Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype - growth & development; inhibitory concentration 50; Lamiaceae - chemistry; leaves; Medicinal Chemistry; methanol; Neuraminidase - antagonists & inhibitors; Neuraminidase - metabolism; Original Paper; Pharmacology/Toxicology; Pharmacy; Plant Extracts - chemistry; Plant Extracts - isolation & purification; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plant Leaves; Plant Sciences; Plants, Medicinal; Pogostemon cablin; reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography; screening; Sesquiterpenes - chemistry; Sesquiterpenes - isolation & purification; Sesquiterpenes - pharmacology; sesquiterpenoids; sialidase; silica gel; Solvents - chemistry; spectral analysis; Viral Plaque Assay; Viral Proteins - antagonists & inhibitors; Viral Proteins - metabolism; viruses; Influenza virus; Patchouli alcohol; Benth; Lamiaceae (Labiatae)
• ISSN: 1340-3443; 1861-0293
• DOI: 10.1007/s11418-011-0550-x

During the screening of anti-influenza virus substances from traditional herbal medicines, the methanol extract from the leaves of Pogostemon cablin Benth. showed potent in vitro antiviral activity (99.8% inhibition at a concentration of 10 μg/mL) against influenza virus A/PR/8/34 (H1N1). The anti-influenza virus principle was isolated from the hexane-soluble fraction, through solvent fractionation, repeated silica gel column chromatography, and reversed-phase HPLC. The major active principle was a volatile substance that was identified as a sesquiterpene, patchouli alcohol (1), on the basis of its spectral analyses. When anti-influenza virus activity against A/PR/8/34 was evaluated by the plaque forming assay, patchouli alcohol reduced the number of plaques by 75% at 2 μg/mL and 89% at 10 μg/mL. Patchouli alcohol showed dose-dependent anti-influenza virus activity, and its IC50 value was estimated to be 2.635 μM. Although 11 different sesquiterpenes were tested for antiviral activity against influenza virus A/PR/8/34, no or negligible activity was observed except for patchouli alcohol. Patchouli alcohol did not show anti-influenza virus activity against A/Guizhou/54/89 (H3N2), but showed weak activity against B/Ibaraki/2/85 (IC50 = 40.82 μM). Patchouli alcohol did not show inhibitory activity against influenza virus neuraminidase.