Prunella vulgaris composition
Rosmarinic acid and triterpenoid are some of the substances found
in it.
Benefit of Prunella vulgaris
According to some laboratory studies, prunella has many potential benefits, including anti-microbial,
anti-viral, and anti-oxidant properties. Prunella may have activity
against herpes simplex virus which could be of benefit in
oral herpes and
genital herpes.
However, human studies are lacking therefore not much more can be said
about the clinical uses of a prunella vulgaris supplement.
Ebola virus natural herbal protection?
Antiviral Research. 2016. Characterization of the inhibitory effect of an extract of Prunella vulgaris on Ebola virus glycoprotein (GP)-mediated virus entry and
infection. Currently, no approved antiviral therapeutic is available for
treatment or prevention of Ebola virus (EBOV) infection. In this study, we
characterized an EBOV-glycoprotein (GP) pseudotyped HIV-1-based vector system in
different cell cultures, including human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs)
and human macrophages, for the screening of anti-EBOV-GP agents. Based on this
system, we demonstrated that an aqueous extract (CHPV) from the Chinese herb
Prunella vulgaris displayed a potent inhibitory effect on EBOV-GP pseudotyped
virus (EBOV-GP-V)-mediated infection in various cell lines.
HIV infection
Inhibition of HIV-1 infection by aqueous extracts of Prunella vulgaris L.
Virol J. 2011.
Research
BMB Rep. 2013. The protective effect of Prunella vulgaris ethanol
extract against vascular inflammation in TNF-α-stimulated human aortic
smooth muscle cells.
Immune modulatory effects of Prunella vulgaris
Int J Mol Med. 2005.
Prunella vulgaris
has a wide array of biological effects exhibiting numerous therapeutic
potentials. Its anti-microbial effects including anti-viral and
anti-bacterial effects are, presently, receiving increasing attention.
While its anti-viral effects are attributed mainly to the inhibition of
virus replication, the biological mechanisms of its anti-bacterial effects
or actions remain unknown. In view of the fact that polysaccharides
isolated from medicinal herbs often function as biological response
modifier of body immunity, we hypothesized that the anti-microbial effect
of polysaccharides isolated from it is probably also
mediated via immune modulation. We have isolated four polysaccharides
containing fractions from Prunella vulgaris, one of the
fractions, PV2, could markedly stimulate the production of superoxide and
nitrite representing nitric oxide from murine macrophage RAW264.7 and
brain macrophage BV2 cells. The amount of nitrite and superoxide produced
after PV2 stimulation was as high as that seen in stimulation using
bacterial endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and this stimulatory
response is dose-dependent. In addition to monocyte/macrophage, PV2 also
stimulated the proliferation of splenocytes. In this study, we have shown
that the polysaccharides isolated from Prunella vulgaris have marked
immune stimulatory effects, which may bring about the anti-microbial
effects of Prunella vulgaris.
A polysaccharide fraction from medicinal herb Prunella vulgaris
downregulates the expression of herpes simplex virus antigen in Vero
cells.
J Ethnopharmacol. 2004.
Herpes simplex viruses are pathogenic. With the emergence of
drug-resistant strains of Herpes simplex virus, new antiviral agents,
especially those with different modes of action, are urgently needed.
Prunella vulgaris, a perennial plant commonly found in China
and Europe, has long been used as a folk medicine to cure ailments. In
this study, a polysaccharide fraction was prepared from Prunella vulgaris, and its effects on the expressions of Herpes simplex virus-1 and
Herpes simplex virus-2 antigens in their host Vero cells were investigated
with flow cytometry. The Herpes simplex virus antigen increased
time-dependently in the infected cells, and Prunella vulgaris reduced its expression.
The effective concentrations of Prunella vulgaris with 50% reductions of the Herpes
simplex virus-1 and Herpes simplex virus-2 antigens were 20 and 20 microg/ml, respectively. The novelty of Prunella vulgaris is that it also reduces the
antigen expression of acyclovir-resistant strain of Herpes simplex
virus-1. After incubations with 25-100 microg/ml of Prunella vulgaris the Herpes simplex
virus antigen-positive cells were reduced by 24-92%, respectively,
showing that this polysaccharide fraction has a different mode of
anti-Herpes simplex virus action from acyclovir. Results from this study
show that Prunella vulgaris is effective against both the Herpes simplex virus-1 and
Herpes simplex virus-2 infections, and flow cytometry offers a
quantitative and highly reproducible anti-Herpes simplex virus
drug-susceptibility assay.
Phenolics-rich extracts from Silybum marianum and Prunella vulgaris
reduce a high-sucrose diet induced oxidative stress in hereditary
hypertriglyceridemic rats.
Pharmacol Research. 2004.
The study tested the effects of phenolics-rich extracts from the plants
Silybum marianum (silymarin) and Prunella vulgaris on blood and liver
antioxidant status and lipoprotein metabolism. These results indicate that
silymarin and Prunella vulgaris improve antioxidant status in blood and
liver and positively affect plasma lipoprotein profile in an experimental
model of dietary induced hypertriglyceridemia.
Biological activities of Prunella vulgaris extract.
Phytother Research. 2003.
The organic fraction (OF; 25% w/w of rosmarinic acid) of Prunella
vulgaris (total extract) was found to exhibit the following: scavenging
activity on diphenylpicrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH), inhibition of in vitro
human LDL Cu(II)-mediated oxidation, protection of rat mitochondria and
rat hepatocytes exposed to either tert-butyl hydroperoxide, or to Cu(II)
and Fe(III) ions. OF also showed a potential to inhibit rat erythrocyte
haemolysis and it reduced the production of LTB(4) in bovine PMNL
generated by the 5-lipoxygenase pathway. Other observations included
antiproliferative effects against HaCaT cells and mouse epidermal
fibroblasts and a moderate OF antimicrobial activity on gram-positive
bacteria. Rosmarinic, caffeic and 3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)lactic acids
exhibited less potent activity than the plant extract in all bioassays.
The antioxidative, antimicrobial, together with antiviral effects offer
good prospects for its medicinal applications.
Identification of inhibitors of the HIV-1 gp41 six-helix
bundle formation from extracts of Chinese medicinal herbs Prunella
vulgaris and Rhizoma cibotte.
Life Sciences 2002.
An increasing portion of patients with HIV infection and/or AIDS cannot
use currently FDA-approved anti-HIV drugs, including the reverse
transcriptase and protease inhibitors, due to the adverse effects and the
emergence of drug resistance. Thus, it is essential to develop new
anti-HIV agents with a target different from the HIV reverse transcriptase
and protease. Using a conformation-specific monoclonal antibody NC-1, we
previously established a high throughput screening assay for
identification of small molecular organic compounds that disrupt the HIV-1
gp41 six-helix bundle formation, a critical step of membrane fusion
between the HIV and the target cell. In the present study, we used this
assay to screen for inhibitors of the gp41 six-helix bundle formation from
aqueous extracts of nine Chinese medicinal herbs with antiviral activity.
We found that the extracts of two herbs, Prunella vulgaris and Rhizoma
cibotte, showed potent inhibitory activity. The inhibitory activity of
these two herb extracts significantly decreased after they were passed
through polyamide resin mini-columns, which are able to bind polyphenols
including tannin, an HIV-1 inhibitor with multiple mechanisms of action.
The bound polyphenols were eluted from the polyamide columns and also
showed potent inhibitory activity on the gp41 six-helix bundle formation.
Tannin purchased from different commercial sources inhibited the gp41
six-helix bundle formation in a manner similar to the polyphenols isolated
from the herb extracts. These results suggest that tannin may be one of
major inhibitors of the HIV-1 gp41 six-helix bundle formation in the herb
extracts and that tannin may inhibit HIV-1 entry by disrupting the gp41
six-helix bundle formation.
Inhibition of immediate-type allergic reactions by Prunella vulgaris
in a murine model.
Immunopharmacol Immunotoxicol. 2001.
We studied the effect of aqueous extract of Prunella vulgaris
on immediate-type allergic reactions. At 0.005 to 1 g/kg it
dose-dependently inhibited systemic anaphylactic shock induced by compound
48/ 80 in rats. When Prunella vulgaris was given as pretreatment, at
concentrations ranging from 0.005 to 1 g/kg, the serum histamine levels
induced by compound 48/ 80 were reduced in a dose-dependent manner.
Prunella vulgaris (0.001 to 1 g/kg) inhibited the passive cutaneous
anaphylaxis activated by anti-dinitrophenyl (DNP) IgE antibody dose
dependently. Prunella vulgaris also inhibited the histamine release
induced by compound 48/80 or anti-DNP IgE from the rat peritoneal mast
cells (RPMC). The level of cyclic AMP in RPMC, when Prunella vulgaris was
added, significantly increased, compared with that of normal control.
Moreover, Prunella vulgaris (0.01 and 0.1 mg/ml) had a significant
inhibitory effect on anti-DNP IgE-mediated tumor necrosis factor-alpha
production from RPMC. These results indicate that Prunella vulgaris
inhibits immediate-type allergic reactions in rats.
Anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory triterpenes from the herb of
Prunella vulgaris.
Planta Med. 2000.
The activity-guided fractionation of the extract of the herb led to the isolation of four triterpenes,
i.e., betulinic acid, ursolic acid, 2 alpha,3
alpha-dihydroxyurs-12-en-28-oic acid, and 2 alpha-hydroxyursolic acid.
Questions
Q. Can prunella vulgaris herb be used the same day as
dhea hormone?
A. Probably, but caution is advised with the use of dhea hormone.
Q. I understand that
prunella vulgaris herb is readily available for
purchase. What would be a suggestion way for application?
A. We don't have much clinical experience using it
so we don't know the ideal dosage, form of ingestion or extract potency to use.
Where can I buy prunella vulgaris from a reliable source?
I am not aware of specific testing of different products on the
market to determine purity, so I don't know at this time.
I am currently being treated for Lyme disease, Bartonella,
RMSF and Babesia. I was wondering if you could share any additional information
about this herb with me, would this aid in boosting my immune systems and to
help to kill the spirochete load in my body, interactions with other herbs, etc.
I am not aware of studies that have evaluated this herb in terms of
its effect on these conditions.