On the 13th, the Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine announced that it had confirmed the efficacy of isoquercitrin, an ingredient derived from lotus leaves, in suppressing the influenza virus that causes influenza.
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 attack and penetration into cells and directly kills the virus. It has also been found that there is a therapeutic effect by suppressing the virus even at the stage where the virus is proliferated and then released into the cell. Lotus leaf is known to have various effects such as antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, liver protective and anti-obesity.
Dr Ma said: ‘Until now, Tamiflu has been used mainly as a treatment for influenza, but it also has side effects such as the emergence of resistant viruses.’
Reporter Jeon Ji-hoon mhjee@donga.com
