Polyphenol rich sugarcane extract (PRSE) has potential antiviral activity against influenza A virus in vitro

Influenza A virus (IAV) is one of the major global public health concerns but the emerging resistance of IAV to currently available antivirals requires the need to identify potential alternatives. Polyphenol rich sugarcane extract (PRSE) is an extract prepared from the sugarcane plant Saccharum Officinarum. Herein we aimed to determine if PRSE had antiviral activity against IAV. We showed that treatment of IAV-infected cells with PRSE results in a dose-dependent inhibition of virus infection at concentrations that were non-cytotoxic. PRSE treatment limited the early stages of infection, reducing viral genome replication, mRNA transcription and viral protein expression. PRSE did not affect the ability of IAV to bind sialic acid or change the morphology of viral particles. Additionally, PRSE treatment attenuated the replication of multiple IAV strains of the H3N2 and H1N1 subtype. In conclusion, we show that PRSE displays antiviral activity against a broad range of IAV strains, in vitro.