Study on the isolation of active constituents in Lonicera japonica and the mechanism of their anti-upper respiratory tract infection action in children

Hongxia Lu, Lei Zhang, Han Huang

Abstract

Background: Lonicera japonica has been studied extensively by scholars at home and abroad, a number of compounds have been isolated from it, which mainly include organic acids and flavonoids. Pharmacological studies have shown that Lonicera japonica has antibacterial and gall bladder-protective effects.

Objective: To study the active constituents in Lonicera japonica and the mechanism of their anti-upper respiratory tract infection action in children.

Methods: Compounds were identified by chromatographic methods, and the mechanism of anti-pediatric upper respiratory tract infection action of Lonicera japonica decoction was studied using experimental animals.

Results: A total of four compounds were isolated, after injection of egg white, toe edema in rats in the control group was very obvious, different test concentrations of Lonicera japonica decoction all inhibited toe edema in rats to some extents, the edema was the mildest in the Lonicera japonica decoction high-dose group, which had the strongest inhibitory effect on the development of inflammation, the Lonicera japonica decoction showed certain dose-effect relationship with toe edema in rats. In the rat body temperature control experiment, while body temperature of rats in the blank group had already risen, other groups were still able to lower the body temperature of rats under the action of test drugs. The severity of ear edema in mice in the blank control group was obvious, with increased thickness which showed significant difference between left and right ears. Under test doses, three Lonicera japonica decoction groups all inhibited xylene-induced ear edema in mice.

Conclusion: Lonicera japonica has an anti-upper respiratory tract infection action in children.

Keywords: Lonicera japonica, chlorogenic acid butyl ester, oleanolic acid, mouse ear edema