PubMed · 2026-03-06
Researchers discovered that a compound extracted from a traditional Chinese medicinal herb called Elsholtzia penduliflora can significantly reduce severe flu-related lung damage by blocking a specific immune-metabolic pathway that drives harmful inflammation.
The phenolic-rich fraction (EP) of Elsholtzia penduliflora significantly reduced viral titers, lung injury scores, inflammation, and cell death in both mouse models and human lung cells infected with H1N1 influenza.
EP reversed H1N1-induced disruption of the tryptophan-kynurenine metabolic pathway by downregulating the enzyme IDO-1, a key regulator of immune metabolism.
When IDO-1 was artificially reactivated using an agonist compound (3-MI), the protective effects of EP — including reduction of mitochondrial damage, ROS accumulation, and STAT1 signaling — were abolished, confirming IDO-1 as the critical target.
