Herbs and Herbal Extracts
Zingiber officinale Rosc (ZOR)
General Background
It is a traditional oriental herbal medicine (called “Sheng Jiang” in Chinese).
Effects and Interactions
ZOR may have anti-influenza effects.
Mechanisms
The herb may not have direct inhibitory effect on the growth of influenza virus. Its antiviral effects may be mediated through activation of macrophage and production of TNF-alpha (Imanishi et al., 2006). The herbal effects on influenza A/Aichi/2/68 (Aichi) virus were investigated.
Reference
Imanishi, N., Andoh, T., Mantani, N., et al. (2006) Macrophage-mediated inhibitory effect of Zingiber officinale Rosc, a traditional oriental herbal medicine, on the growth of influenza A/Aichi/2/68 virus. Am J Chin Med 34, 157-69.
