Mostafa Pirali Hamedani - Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Mahtab Ahmad Kashi - Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Saied Goodarzi - Medicinal Plants Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Hadiseh Shokouhi - Influenza and Respiratory Viruses Department, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
Mehdi Shafiee Ardestani - Department of Radiopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Abbas Hadjiakhoondi - Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Morteza Pirali Hamedani - Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Mohammad Hosein Ghahremani - Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Parvaneh Mehrbod - Influenza and Respiratory Viruses Department, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
Zahra Tofighi - Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Objective(s): Influenza A virus (IAV) is a contagious illness. Different species of Scutellaria genus are used as a traditional remedy to reduce influenza symptoms. This study aimed to investigate the anti-influenza capacity of several species of Iranian Scutellaria and identify active compounds of the most potent species for the first time.Materials and Methods: Some Iranian species of Scutellaria were collected from different regions of Iran, including S. pinnatifida with mucida, viridis, and alpina subspecies; S. tournefortii; S. tomentosa; S. persica. They were fractionated to chloroform and methanol. The total phenols and flavonoids of samples were examined by the folin-ciocalteau and aluminum-flavonoid complex methods, respectively. The ۵۰% cytotoxic concentrations (CC۵۰) on MDCK cells and non-cytotoxic concentrations (NCTC) were determined by MTT assay. The percentage of cell protection against IAV and their effect on virus titer were investigated in pre-, post-, and co-penetration treatment groups. Phytochemicals of the most effective species were isolated by various chromatographic methods and identified by different spectroscopic methods.Results: Methanol fraction of S. pinnatifida subsp. viridis demonstrated the highest amounts of flavonoid content and best activity against influenza A virus in all combination treatments, which reduced the virus titer by ۵ logs with no cytotoxicity. Kaempferol-۳-O-glucoside, quercetin-۳-O-glucoside, apigenin-۴′-methoxy-۷-O-glucoside, luteolin, and luteolin-۷-O-glucoside were purified and identified from this species.Conclusion: Scutellaria pinnatifida subsp. viridis can be introduced as a source of flavonoids with acceptable anti-influenza activity. S. tomentosa also showed potent antiviral effects and is a candidate for elucidation in further studies.

Antiviral, Flavonoids, Folin-ciocalteau reagent, H۱N۱ virus, MTT Assay, Scutellaria