. doi: 10.1016/j.virs.2026.06.002
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

阔叶山麦冬皂苷C对甲型流感病毒和新型冠状病毒的抗病毒活性研究

  • 阔叶山麦冬皂苷C(又名DT-13)是从阔叶山麦冬块茎中提取的主要活性成分,具有多种药理活性,包括抗肿瘤、抗血栓、心肌保护及抗炎。然而,其抗病毒潜力尚未被研究。本研究旨在探究阔叶山麦冬皂苷C对甲型流感病毒和新型冠状病毒的抑制活性及其潜在作用机制。体外实验结果表明,阔叶山麦冬皂苷C可呈剂量依赖性地抑制甲型流感病毒在犬肾细胞(MDCK)和人肺腺癌细胞(A549)中的复制。药物添加时间实验显示,阔叶山麦冬皂苷C作用于流感病毒进入细胞后的复制阶段,破坏病毒核糖核蛋白(vRNP)的功能。病毒聚合酶活性受抑制、病毒RNA合成减少以及病毒核糖核蛋白的核输出延迟,均验证了这一作用机制。本研究进一步利用甲型H1N1流感病毒致死性小鼠模型验证了该化合物的体内抗病毒效果。结果显示,预防性和治疗性给予阔叶山麦冬皂苷C均能呈剂量依赖性地显著提高感染小鼠的存活率,降低肺组织中的病毒载量,并减轻病毒诱导的肺部炎症。除甲型流感病毒外,阔叶山麦冬皂苷C还可有效抑制新型冠状病毒的感染,其通过干扰病毒刺突蛋白与人血管紧张素转换酶2(ACE2)受体的结合、抑制刺突蛋白介导的膜融合,从而阻断病毒入侵过程。综上,本研究证实阔叶山麦冬皂苷C对甲型流感病毒和新型冠状病毒均具有抗病毒潜力,有望成为治疗呼吸道病毒感染的候选药物。

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

  • 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.

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

      Corresponding author: Chao Shan, shanchao@wh.iov.cn
      Corresponding author: Shuai Xu, xushuai@caas.cn
      Corresponding author: Xiaoxia Wang, wangxiaoxia@lzu.edu.cn
    • 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

    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.

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