Antiviral activity of Saponin C from <em>Liriope muscari</em> against influenza A virus and SARS-CoV-2

Yuhan Gong; Junwen Liu; Wenxuan Ding; Yuxing Yan; Xue Hu; Gary Wong; Huaijie Jia; Zhengxiang Wang; Xin Li; Jiayi Chen; Xin Zhang; Chao Shan; Shuai Xu; Xiaoxia Wang

doi:10.1016/j.virs.2026.06.002

June 2026

Citation: Yuhan Gong, Junwen Liu, Wenxuan Ding, Yuxing Yan, Xue Hu, Gary Wong, Huaijie Jia, Zhengxiang Wang, Xin Li, Jiayi Chen, Xin Zhang, Chao Shan, Shuai Xu, Xiaoxia Wang. Antiviral activity of Saponin C from Liriope muscari against influenza A virus and SARS-CoV-2 .VIROLOGICA SINICA, 2026, 41(3) : 662-675. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.virs.2026.06.002

Antiviral activity of Saponin C from Liriope muscari against influenza A virus and SARS-CoV-2

Yuhan Gong ^a ,
Junwen Liu ^b ,
Wenxuan Ding ^a ,
Yuxing Yan ^c ,
Xue Hu ^d ,
Gary Wong ^e ,
Huaijie Jia ^b ,
Zhengxiang Wang ^b ,
Xin Li ^b ,
Jiayi Chen ^a ,
Xin Zhang ^a ,
Chao Shan ^{d
,,} ,
Shuai Xu ^{b
,,} ,
Xiaoxia Wang ^{a
,,}

a. School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China;
b. State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, College of Veterinary Medicine, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, 730046, China;
c. Department of Public Health, Kangqiao Community Health Service Center, Shanghai, 201315, China;
d. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China;
e. Virology Laboratory, Institut Pasteur du Laos, Vientiane, 01000, Laos

Corresponding author: Chao Shan, shanchao@wh.iov.cn
Shuai Xu, xushuai@caas.cn
Xiaoxia Wang, wangxiaoxia@lzu.edu.cn
Received Date: 07 December 2025
Accepted Date: 01 June 2026
Available online: 03 June 2026

Abstract

Saponin C (also known as DT-13) is the dominant ingredient extracted from the tuber of Liriope muscari (Decne.) L. H. Bailey, which exhibits multiple pharmacological activities, including anti-tumor, anti-thrombotic, cardioprotective and anti-inflammatory effects. However, its antiviral potential remains unexplored. This study aimed to investigate the inhibitory activity and underlying mechanisms of Saponin C against both influenza A virus (IAV) and SARS-CoV-2. In vitro experiments demonstrated that Saponin C dose-dependently inhibited IAV replication in MDCK and A549 cells. Time-of-addition assay revealed that Saponin C targeted the post-entry stages of IAV replication by impairing viral ribonucleoprotein (vRNP) function. This was evidenced by the suppression of viral polymerase activity, reduction of viral RNA synthesis, and delayed nuclear export of vRNP. The in vivo efficacy was further validated in a lethal H1N1 mouse model, where both prophylactic and therapeutic administration of Saponin C significantly improved the survival rate of infected mice, reduced viral loads in lung tissues, and attenuated virus-induced pulmonary inflammation in a dose-dependent manner. Beyond IAV, Saponin C also effectively inhibited SARS-CoV-2 infection by blocking viral entry, specifically through interfering with the binding of viral spike protein to the human ACE2 receptor and suppressing spike-mediated membrane fusion. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that Saponin C possesses antiviral potential against IAV and SARS-CoV-2, and may thus serve as a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of respiratory viral infections.
- Saponin C
- , Liriope muscari (Decne.) L. H. Bailey
- , Influenza A virus (IAV)
- , SARS-CoV-2
- , Antiviral activity

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