The San Wu Huangqin Decoction (SWHD), a traditional Chinese medicine formula, is used to treat colds caused by exposure to wind-pathogen, hyperpyrexia, infectious diseases and cancer; moreover, it is used for detoxification. The individual herbs of SWHD, such as Sophora flavescens and Scutellaria baicalensis, exhibit a wide spectrum of antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anticancer and other properties. The Chinese compound formula of SWHD is composed of S. flavescens, S. baicalensis and Rehmannia glutinosa. However, the effect of SWHD on the influenza virus (IFV) and its mechanism remain unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate, for the first time, whether SWHD could be used to treat influenza. Results showed that SWHD could effectively inhibit influenza A/PR/8/34 (H1N1) virus at different stages of viral replication (confirmed through antiviral effect assay, penetration assay, attachment assay and internalization assay) in vitro. It could reduce the infection of the virus in a dose- and time-dependent manner, as confirmed by observing the cell cytopathic effect and calculating the cell viability (p < 0.05). SWHD demonstrated better antiviral activity than oseltamivir in the evaluation of antiviral prophylaxis on influenza (p < 0.05). The antiviral activity of SWHD may be related to its regulation ability on the immune system. Western blot, real-time polymerase chain reaction and indirect immunofluorescence assay showed that the expression of the four target viral proteins of the IFV (namely, haemagglutinin (HA), neuraminidase (NA), nucleoprotein (NP) and matrix-2 (M2)) reduced significantly (p < 0.05). Moreover, SWHD (23.40 and 11.70 g/kg) significantly alleviated the clinical signs, reduced the mortality and increased the survival time of infected mice (p < 0.05). The lung index, virus titres, pathological changes in lung tissues and the expression of key proteins of the IFV in mice also decreased (p < 0.05). In conclusion, SWHD possessed anti-influenza activity. This work provided a new view of complementary therapy and drug discovery for clinical treatment.

Cancer is one of the most common lethal diseases, and natural products have been extensively studied as anticancer agents considering their availability, low toxicity, and economic affordability. Plants belonging to the genus Aconitum have been widely used medically in many Asian countries since ancient times. These plants have been proven effective for treating several types of cancer, such as lung, stomach, and liver cancers. The main effective components of Aconitum plants are diterpenoid alkaloids—which are divided into C₁₈-, C₁₉-, C₂₀-, and bis-diterpenoid alkaloids—are reportedly some of the most promising, naturally abundant compounds for treating cancer. This review focuses on the progress of diterpenoid alkaloids with different structures derived from Aconitum plants and some of their derivatives with potential anticancer activities. We hope that this work can serve as a reference for further developing Aconitum diterpenoid alkaloids as anticancer agents.

Shuang–Huang–Lian injectable powder (SHL)—a classical purified herbal preparation extracted from Scutellaria baicalensis, Lonicera japonica, and Forsythia suspense—has been used against human adenovirus III (HAdV₃) for many years. The combination herb and its major bioactive compounds, including chlorogenic acid, baicalin, and forsythia glycosides A, are effective inhibitors of the virus. However, no comprehensive studies are available on the antiviral effects of SHL against HAdV₃. Moreover, it remains unclear whether the mixture of chlorogenic acid, baicalin, and forsythia glycosides A (CBF) has enhanced antiviral activity compared with SHL. Therefore, a comparative study was performed to investigate the combination which is promising for further antiviral drug development. To evaluate their antivirus activity in parallel, the combination ratio and dose of CBF were controlled and consistent with SHL. First, the fingerprint and the ratio of CBF in SHL were determined by high performance liquid chromatography. Then, a plaque reduction assay, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR), real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used to explore its therapeutic effects on viral infection and replication, respectively. The results showed that SHL and CBF inhibited dose- and time-dependently HAdV₃-induced plaque formation in A549 and HEp-2 cells. SHL was more effective than CBF when supplemented prior to and after viral inoculation. SHL prevented viral attachment, internalization, and replication at high concentration and decreased viral levels within and out of cells at non-toxic concentrations in both cell types. Moreover, the expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1ß, and IL-6 was lower and the expression of interferon (IFN)-γ was higher in both cell types treated with SHL than with CBF. In conclusion, SHL is much more effective and slightly less toxic than CBF.