Juice of Citrullus lanatus var. citroides (wild watermelon) inhibits the entry and propagation of influenza viruses in vitro and in vivo

Abstract Vaccines and various anti‐influenza drugs are clinically used to prevent and treat influenza infections. However, with the antigenic mismatch of vaccines and the emergence of drug‐resistant viral strains, new approaches for treating influenza are warranted. This study focused on natural foo...

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Main Authors: Ryosuke Morimoto, Kae Yoshioka, Miyu Nakayama, Emiko Nagai, Yoshinobu Okuno, Ayaka Nakashima, Taro Ogawa, Kengo Suzuki, Toshiki Enomoto, Yuji Isegawa
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2021-01-01
Series:Food Science & Nutrition
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.2023
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spelling doaj-fd0c8d0298474392af7b0d0281b1f4512021-03-19T11:50:39ZengWileyFood Science & Nutrition2048-71772021-01-019154455210.1002/fsn3.2023Juice of Citrullus lanatus var. citroides (wild watermelon) inhibits the entry and propagation of influenza viruses in vitro and in vivoRyosuke Morimoto0Kae Yoshioka1Miyu Nakayama2Emiko Nagai3Yoshinobu Okuno4Ayaka Nakashima5Taro Ogawa6Kengo Suzuki7Toshiki Enomoto8Yuji Isegawa9Department of Food Sciences and Nutrition School of Human Environmental Sciences Mukogawa Women’s University Nishinomiya JapanDepartment of Food Sciences and Nutrition School of Human Environmental Sciences Mukogawa Women’s University Nishinomiya JapanDepartment of Food Sciences and Nutrition School of Human Environmental Sciences Mukogawa Women’s University Nishinomiya JapanDepartment of Food Science Ishikawa Prefectural University Nonoichi JapanOsaka Institute of Public Health Osaka JapanEuglena, Co., Ltd Minato‐ku JapanEuglena, Co., Ltd Minato‐ku JapanEuglena, Co., Ltd Minato‐ku JapanDepartment of Food Science Ishikawa Prefectural University Nonoichi JapanDepartment of Food Sciences and Nutrition School of Human Environmental Sciences Mukogawa Women’s University Nishinomiya JapanAbstract Vaccines and various anti‐influenza drugs are clinically used to prevent and treat influenza infections. However, with the antigenic mismatch of vaccines and the emergence of drug‐resistant viral strains, new approaches for treating influenza are warranted. This study focused on natural foods as potential candidates for the development of new treatment options for influenza infections. The screening of plants from the Cucurbitaceae family revealed that the juice of Citrullus lanatus var. citroides (wild watermelon) had the strongest ability to inhibit the replication of influenza virus in Madin–Darby canine kidney cells. The results of a time‐of‐addition assay indicated that wild watermelon juice (WWMJ) inhibits the adsorption and late stages of viral replication, suggesting that WWMJ contains multiple constituents with effective anti‐influenza activity. A viral adsorption analysis showed that WWMJ reduces the amount of viral RNA in the cells at 37°C but not at 4°C, confirming that WWMJ inhibits viral entry into the host cells at 37°C. These results suggest that a mechanism other than the inhibition of viral attachment is involved in the anti‐influenza action of WWMJ, which is perhaps responsible for a reduction in internalization of the virus. Administration of WWMJ into the nasal mucosa of BALB/c mice infected with the A/PR/8/34 mouse‐adapted influenza virus was seen to significantly improve the survival rate. The findings of this study, therefore, demonstrate the anti‐influenza potential of WWMJ in vitro and in vivo, thereby suggesting the candidature of WWMJ as a functional food product that can be used to develop anti‐influenza agents and drugs.https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.2023influenza virusvirus infection inhibitionwild watermelon
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Ryosuke Morimoto
Kae Yoshioka
Miyu Nakayama
Emiko Nagai
Yoshinobu Okuno
Ayaka Nakashima
Taro Ogawa
Kengo Suzuki
Toshiki Enomoto
Yuji Isegawa
spellingShingle Ryosuke Morimoto
Kae Yoshioka
Miyu Nakayama
Emiko Nagai
Yoshinobu Okuno
Ayaka Nakashima
Taro Ogawa
Kengo Suzuki
Toshiki Enomoto
Yuji Isegawa
Juice of Citrullus lanatus var. citroides (wild watermelon) inhibits the entry and propagation of influenza viruses in vitro and in vivo
Food Science & Nutrition
influenza virus
virus infection inhibition
wild watermelon
author_facet Ryosuke Morimoto
Kae Yoshioka
Miyu Nakayama
Emiko Nagai
Yoshinobu Okuno
Ayaka Nakashima
Taro Ogawa
Kengo Suzuki
Toshiki Enomoto
Yuji Isegawa
author_sort Ryosuke Morimoto
title Juice of Citrullus lanatus var. citroides (wild watermelon) inhibits the entry and propagation of influenza viruses in vitro and in vivo
title_short Juice of Citrullus lanatus var. citroides (wild watermelon) inhibits the entry and propagation of influenza viruses in vitro and in vivo
title_full Juice of Citrullus lanatus var. citroides (wild watermelon) inhibits the entry and propagation of influenza viruses in vitro and in vivo
title_fullStr Juice of Citrullus lanatus var. citroides (wild watermelon) inhibits the entry and propagation of influenza viruses in vitro and in vivo
title_full_unstemmed Juice of Citrullus lanatus var. citroides (wild watermelon) inhibits the entry and propagation of influenza viruses in vitro and in vivo
title_sort juice of citrullus lanatus var. citroides (wild watermelon) inhibits the entry and propagation of influenza viruses in vitro and in vivo
publisher Wiley
series Food Science & Nutrition
issn 2048-7177
publishDate 2021-01-01
description Abstract Vaccines and various anti‐influenza drugs are clinically used to prevent and treat influenza infections. However, with the antigenic mismatch of vaccines and the emergence of drug‐resistant viral strains, new approaches for treating influenza are warranted. This study focused on natural foods as potential candidates for the development of new treatment options for influenza infections. The screening of plants from the Cucurbitaceae family revealed that the juice of Citrullus lanatus var. citroides (wild watermelon) had the strongest ability to inhibit the replication of influenza virus in Madin–Darby canine kidney cells. The results of a time‐of‐addition assay indicated that wild watermelon juice (WWMJ) inhibits the adsorption and late stages of viral replication, suggesting that WWMJ contains multiple constituents with effective anti‐influenza activity. A viral adsorption analysis showed that WWMJ reduces the amount of viral RNA in the cells at 37°C but not at 4°C, confirming that WWMJ inhibits viral entry into the host cells at 37°C. These results suggest that a mechanism other than the inhibition of viral attachment is involved in the anti‐influenza action of WWMJ, which is perhaps responsible for a reduction in internalization of the virus. Administration of WWMJ into the nasal mucosa of BALB/c mice infected with the A/PR/8/34 mouse‐adapted influenza virus was seen to significantly improve the survival rate. The findings of this study, therefore, demonstrate the anti‐influenza potential of WWMJ in vitro and in vivo, thereby suggesting the candidature of WWMJ as a functional food product that can be used to develop anti‐influenza agents and drugs.
topic influenza virus
virus infection inhibition
wild watermelon
url https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.2023
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