Agrimonia pilosa herb benefit for flu and viral infections

Agrimonia pilosa plant has long been used for medicinal purposes. Agrimonia pilosa is a perennial plant native to Northern Asia and Eastern Europe.

Human research
As of April 2010, we did find human studies to indicate how Agrimonia pilosa herb would be useful in health conditions.

Composition
This herb has a good content of
Quercetin flavonoid and related chemicals. Flavonoids include tiliroside, kaempferol 3-O-alpha-L-rhampyranoside, quercetin 3-O-alpha-L-rhampyranoside, quercetin 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside, kaempferol 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside, kaempferol, apigenin, and luteolin.

Benefit for flu and virus infection
Broad-spectrum antiviral effect of Agrimonia pilosa extract on influenza viruses.
Microbiol Immunol. 2010 Jan; Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749.
Influenza virus continues to emerge and re-emerge, posing new threats for humans. Here we tested various Korean medicinal plant extracts for potential antiviral activity against influenza viruses. Among them, an extract of Agrimonia pilosa was shown to be highly effective against all three subtypes of human influenza viruses including H1N1 and H3N2 influenza A subtypes and influenza B virus. The EC(50) value against influenza A virus, as tested by the plaque reduction assay on MDCK cells, was 14-23 mug/ml. The extract also exhibited a virucidal effect at a concentration of 160-570 ng/ml against influenza A and B viruses when the viruses were treated with the extract prior to plaque assay. In addition, when tested in embryonated chicken eggs the extract exhibited a strong inhibitory effect in ovo on the H9N2 avian influenza virus at a concentration of 280 ng/ml. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis data showed that the extract, to some degree, suppressed viral RNA synthesis in MDCK cells. HI and inhibition of neuraminidase were observed only at high concentrations of the extract. And yet, the extract's antiviral activity required direct contact between it and the virus, suggesting that its antiviral action is mediated by the viral membrane, but does not involve the two major surface antigens, HA and NA, of the virus. The broad-spectrum antiviral activity of Agrimonia pilosa extract on various subtypes of influenza viruses merits further investigation as it may provide a means of managing avian influenza infections in poultry farms and potential avian-human transmission.

Acetylcholinesterase inhibition by compounds in Agrimonia pilosa
Acetylcholinesterase inhibition by flavonoids from Agrimonia pilosa.
Molecules. 2007 Sepember. Jung M, Park M. Department of Chemistry, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749, Korea.
In a bioassay-guided search for acetylcholinesterase inhibitors from 180 medicinal plants, an ethyl acetate extract of whole plants of Agrimonia pilosa ledeb yielded tiliroside, 3-methoxy quercetin, quercitrin and quercetin. We report herein for the first time that all four flavonol compounds showed significant inhibitory effects on acetylcholinesterase, particularly quercetin, which showed twice the activity of dehydroevodiamine.

Chemical composition of Agrimonia pilosa herb
The Agrimonia pilosa herb has a number of flavonoids such as quercetin catechin, hyperoside, quercitrin, and rutin.

Agrimonia species
Agrimonia eupatoria
Agrimonia pilosa
Agrimonia procera

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