The Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine announced on the 13th that it has confirmed the efficacy of isoquercitrin, an ingredient derived from lotus leaves, to suppress the flu-causing influenza virus.
Isoquercitrin is a flavonoid component contained in many natural products, including lotus leaves, and has been shown to have the effect of suppressing various viruses such as Zika, Ebola, and herpes.
Dr. Ma Jin-yeol’s research team at the Korean Medicine Technology Application Center confirmed that a low concentration of isoquercitrin interferes with the influenza virus in the stage of attaching and penetrating into cells and directly kills the virus. It was found that there is also a therapeutic effect by suppressing the virus even at the stage where the virus is proliferated and then released within the cell. Lotus leaf has been known to have various effects such as antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, liver protection, and anti-obesity.
Dr. Ma said, “Until now, Tamiflu has been mainly used as a treatment for influenza, but it also has side effects such as the emergence of resistant viruses.”
Reporter Jeon Ji-hoon [email protected]