CM NEWS – A commonly used Chinese herb for cold and fever contains ingredients that can fight influenza viruses, a study in China suggests. Elsholtzia rugulosa (野拔子 ye ba zi), a common Chinese herb, is widely used in the treatment of cold and fever. A group of researchers of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, as well as University of Macau investigated the anti-flu functions of the ingredients of this plant. READ ALSO: Herbal soup fights flu A, perhaps useful to guard off swine flu too? Pandemic is a blink away New tech licensed to combat deadly swine flu virus Ginger does ward off flu: study In order to elucidate the action mechanism and the active principles from the plant against anti-influenza virus, the influenza virus neuraminidase (NA) activity assay and in vitro antiviral activity assay were established, and the isolation of the active principles was guided by NA activity. Their study established that five active constituents were found in ye ba zi and they are all flavonoids. What are flavonoids?

Read the original here Common herb has flavonoids that fight flu virus