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African Journal of Pig Farming ISSN 2375-0731 Vol. 2 (6), pp. 001-003, June, 2014. Available online at 
www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals 

 

Author(s) retain the copyright of this article. 

 

Short Communication 

 

A new alternative to treat swine influenza a virus 

infection: Extracts from Terminalia chebula Retz 
 

Hongbo Ma1, Yunpeng Diao2,3, Danyu Zhao2, Kun Li4* and Tingguo Kang2* 
 

1
Department of Nutrition, Jilin Medical College, Jilin 132013, People’s Republic of 

China, 
2
College of Pharmacy, Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Dalian 116001, China 

3
College of Pharmacy, Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116044, China 

4
College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian 116029, China 

 
Accepted 22 January, 2014 

 
Currently, a pandemic swine influenza A virus infection causes a huge negative impact on human beings all over the 
world. However, the methods of treatment are not satisfactory, therefore it is urgent for us to set up new theory and 
practice to fight against the intractable virus. Terminalia chebula Retz, as a kind of traditional Chinese medicine, 
widely distributes and has multiple pharmacological effects. Evidences in laboratory and clinic practice confirm us to 
the potential of Terminalia chebula Retz inhibiting influenza A virus infection. We thus hypothesize that acetone 
extracts (tannic acids, A) of Terminalia chebula Ret may as a new alternative treat influenza A infection based on 
holistic concept of traditional Chinese medicine principle. 
 
Key words: Swine influenza A virus, Terminalia chebula Retz, hypothesis. 

 
INTRODUCTION 

 
Beginning in March 2009, an outbreak of influenza A 
(Family Orthomyxoviridae, Genus Influenzavirus A) has 
become the greatest pandemic disease threat to human-
kind [Neumann et al., 2009]. The new strain of influenza 
virus designated Influenza H1N1 2009, is a reassortant of 
swine, avian and human influenza viruses [Brown, 2000; 
Olsen, 2002; Webby et al., 2000]. Although the influenza 
A infection has less mortality, compared with other 
companions such as HIV-1, Ebola, SARS, the current 
transmit will not stop until pandemic eventually involve 80 
percent of population all over the world according to 
WHO report. 

At present there are only two classes of antiviral drugs 
are approved to treat against influenza viruses including 
adamantanes and neuraminidase inhibitors such oselta-
mivir and zanamivir [Schnitzler and Schnitzler, 2009]. 
However, the effect of viral chemo-therapy that applies a 
single compound is limited with side effect such as 
diarrhea, dizziness or insomnia and this kind of therapy 
may cause drug resistant. Terminaliae immaturus, the  
 
 
 
*Corresponding author. E-mail: kangtg@126.com. Tel:86-411- 
86110414 and lslikun@163.com. Tel: 86-411-86110419. 

 
 
 

 
fruitlet of Terminalia chebula Fructus Retz, which has 
been given the name of XiQingGuo, mainly distribute in 
Malaysia, Thailand, India, Pakistan and Yunnan, Tibet, 
Guangdong, Guangxi province of China [Saleem et al., 
2001; Kusirisin et al., 2009; Nariya et al., 2009; Cai et al., 
2008].  

Its active components which refer to acetone extracts 
(TA) contain digallic acid, chebulinic acid, chebulagic 
acid, terchebin and gallic acid with multiple pharmaco-
logic actions such as anti-virus, anti-oxidation, cardiotonic 
action, antibacterial effect, anti-anaphylaxis, anti-tumor 
growth, [Saleem et al., 2001; Kusirisin et al., 2009; Nariya 
et al., 2009; Cai et al., 2008; Feng et al., 2008; Kusirisin 
et al., 2009; Murali et al., 2007; Lee et al., 2007; Lee et 
al., 2005; Juang et al., 2004; Saleem et al., 2002; 
Malekzadeh et al., 2001; Sato et al., 1997; Verma and 
Raychaudhuri, 1970; Cheng et al., 2003]. Those biolo-
gical activities are often in connec-tion with the high 
contents of tannic acids [Kim et al., 2009]. 
 
 
THE HYPOTHESIS 
 
To sum up the above statements, it is wise for us to get 

help from nature and from ethnopharmacological record 



 
 
 

 

or traditional medicine principle handed down from 
ancient times all over the world to battle with current 

pandemic influenza A virus. We will use acetone to 
extract from Terminalia chebula Retz to get a tannic acid 

mixture to inhibit pandemic influenza A infection. 

 

The theory of our hypothesis 

 

As we all know the influenza virus subtypes have a wide 
host range from avian to mammals including hens, pigs, 
horses and dogs. The genomes of influenza A virus are 
segmented and negative-sense RNAs which can be 
translated into 11 functional proteins [Schnitzler and 
Schnitzler, 2009; Fitzgerald, 2009; Gatherer, 2009]. The 
main infective proteins contain the surface glycoproteins 
haemagglutinin (HA) binding virus to its purposive target 
cell, neuraminidase (NA) facilitating virus release from 
infected cells and virulence factors NS1 antagonizing 
host interferon. There are 16 serotypes of haemag-
glutinin, and 9 serotypes of neuraminidase in total and 
according to these differences, the virus are classified. 
Sialic acid is the receptor for haemagglutinin and sialyl-
transferases is expressed in human mucosal and respire-
tory tissues resulting in N- glycans with -2,6 linked sialic 
acids. However in avian tissues, another structure of 
sialic acid is expressed and N-glycans are linked with - 
2,3-sialic acid. These different structures lead to virus 
specifying hosts, e.g. avian viruses mainly infect bird 
species. Like other RNA viruses, e.g. hepatitis C virus 
and HIV, influenza virus is characterized by genetic varia-
bility, resulting in frequent mutations and reassortment on 
account of influenza virus RNA polymerase lack of proof-
reading abilities [Reid and Taubenberger, 2003]. Thus the 
genetic material of current pandemic influenza A H1N1 
virus is a combination of viruses that have infected pigs, 
birds and humans respecting swine tissues express both 
forms of sialic acid and can be coinfected with human 
and avian viruses [Olsen, 2002].  

It is reported that the rate of oseltamivir-resistant 
human seasonal H1N1 in the USA has increased to 
98.5% [Poland et al., 2009], up from 10% in the last year. 
Although the instances of appearance of current pan-
demic influenza A H1N1 virus resistant to oseltamivir in 
Denmark, Japan and Hong Kong are only sporadic 
cases, the outbreak of large scale cases will happen 
inevitably if no effective actions are taken on. In addition, 
the supply with antiviral drugs is not sufficient for a 
pandemic and the cost of drugs is too expensive to afford 
especially for the developing countries.  

Another alternative to defend virus infection is to appeal 
to our own immune system. On way the infected host 
immune system counters viral infection is with interferon, 
one of the principle functions of which is to interfere with 
viral multiplication without affecting the host cell itself.  

Interferons, a group of small proteins, produced by 

virus-infected cells, react with plasma or nuclear mem-

brane receptors of uninfected cells to induce synthesis of 

 
 
 
 

 

antiviral proteins. Antiviral proteins are possessed of 
multiple functions to prevent further infection of virus 
including blocking initiation of virus protein synthesis, 
inhibiting virus polypeptide elongation and destroying viral 
mRNA before translation. Even through there do exists 
problems partially due to short term effectiveness of 
interferon, it typically plays a positive role against acute 
and short term virus infection especially influenza. 
Therefore any measures that could improve our immune 
system response to secret sufficient interferon are 
suggested and approved.  

In laboratory test, the water decoction of Fructus 
terminaliae immaturus exhibit obvious antibacterial effect 
inhibiting both Gram positive bacterium including 
Staphylococcus aureus, Pneumococcus, Streptococcus 
hemolyticus, Bacillus diphtheriae and Gram negative bac-
terium including Escherichia coli, Bacillus dysenteriae, 
Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus proteus, Bacillus 
tphpi, Bacillus typhi murium, Helicobacter pylori. The 
alcoholic extracts of Terminalia chebula Retz demon-
strated significant anti-virus effect in 2.2.15 cell line 
infected with HBV, and the extracts with a certain 
concentration of hydrochloric acid have a more powerful 
inhibitory effect on bacterium and fungus growth. Chinese 
patent medicines containing Terminalia chebula Retz can 
inhibit acyclovir -resistant herpes simplex virus I in vitro 
and in vivo. In addition, in animal research, Terminalia 
chebula Retz was used to treat endotoxin sepsis shock 
because Terminalia chebula Retz can regulate immune 
response by making host cells release interferon and 
TNF as well as activating monocyte/macrophage system 
[Cai et al., 2008; Feng et al., 2008]. 

 

Feasibility and prospects 

 

We will use acetone to extract from Terminalia chebula 

Retz to get a tannic acid mixture without purification fur-
ther. Base on traditional Chinese medicine and Chinese 
materia medica principle, we would like to emphasize the 
holistic concept, which means that every thing should be 
considered as a whole and there is synergistic effect of 
each component of a plant. The synergy is not the simple 
sum of several components, but rather mutually 
reinforcing role, with a single component can not be 
achieved. The aim of extraction is not intended to find a 
single anti-viral compound, but rather to remove impuri-
ties to enhance antiviral activity of Terminalia chebula 
Retz according to guiding role of holistic concept. The 
extracts combined with pandemic influenza A virus were 
inoculated into nonimmune chick embryo, and then the 
chick embryo and allantoic fluid were observed to evaluate the 

antiviral effect of the extracts. 
 

 

RESULTS 

 

Natural medicine of the antiviral and enhancing immunity 



 
 
 

 

including extract or mixture, which may fight against 

influenza virus through different targets. 
 
 

CONCLUSION 
 

The acetone extract (tannic acids, TA) of Terminalia 

chebula Ret may be considered as a effective method for 

human being fighting against pandemic swine influenza A 

virus on account of its low cost, easy preparation and 

significant therapeutic action. 
 

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 

 

The authors thank the Ph.D. Zhang Zhen for manuscript 

revision assistance. 
 
 
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