INHIBITION OF INFLUENZA-VIRUS INFECTION BY TEA POLYPHENOLS

Influenza is a disease with a high mortality rate throughout the world. Despite efforts to develop effective vaccines and therapeutic agents against influenza virus infection, it is still virtually uncontrolled. The use of vaccines against influenza is presently limited because of the frequent conversion of viral antigens. Symptomatic therapy is the only treatment possible for influenza virus infection except in a few countries where the antiviral compound amantadine is in current use. Amantadine, however, is effective as prophylaxis and therapy only against influenza A virus. Furthermore, it has adverse side effects, and resistant virus mutants arise. Therefore, new vaccines and antiviral strategies are being explored. Tea, one of the most popular beverages in the world, is well known to possess many medicinal properties - numerous laboratories have reported many therapeutic effects of tea In this chapter, the effects of tea and its constituents against influenza virus infection are discussed.