H5N1 fighting phytonutrients include cinnamon... And a really interesting grocery list... to feed your chickens?

a Hong Kong Medical Journal article from 2014 about Avian influenza A (H5N1).

Article share from Clichy Rose, thanks! Antiviral activity of Chinese medicine–derived phytochemicals against avian influenza A (H5N1) virus, (Ooi, et al, 2014). The research team’s goal was to identify phytonutrient rich food substances that can be added to chicken feed to help protect the chickens from developing Avian Flu (H5N1).

This post got long so I’m summarizing it in the form of grocery list of sorts - what should we feed our chickens, or children, or our own chitlins to help reduce risk of H5N1 avian flu infection?

• Pandan green leaves, narcissus flower bulbs (it would be like eating an onion kind of), and a wild herb called Soloman’s Seal are the top three.

• More commonly available in a US grocery store …. Cinnamon!

• You might find packages of dried Wakame and Kombu or order those online along with some Skullcap herb for making tea (source of bacailin).

• Foraging, look for Garlic Chives/Wild Leeks and Common Self-Heal / Heal-All herb, (and look for the Soloman’s Seal too), Chinese Globeflowers and Oriental false hawksbeard flowers, or herbs or extracts can often be ordered online. Check for quality and history of the company.

• Potentially available in Asian markets look for Reishi/Lingzhi mushrooms and King Tuber mushrooms, an edible gill fungus. The Asian market might also have Pandan leaves fresh or as a green powder used in baking, and maybe Nuzheni fruit or Kushen root. Also look for China Root powder, called tufuling, to make a medicinal gelatin dessert.

• And… what is the tropical houseplant to grow for stopping bleeding? The Umbrella Plant, which is a small tree in tropical regions and the bark is used for an extract with coagulant properties.

Addition: it was pointed out in the replies that the catechins in green tea have a large body of evidence showing efficacy. Thanks! Maybe tea leaves weren’t deemed potential chicken food by the research team Ooi, et al, 2014.

• In vitro anti-influenza virus and anti-inflammatory activities of theaflavin derivatives, (Zu, et al., 2012).

• EGCG induces β-defensin 3 against influenza A virus H1N1 by the MAPK signaling pathway. (Mou, et al., 2020)

Pomegranate rind made into tea, extract, or added to the coffee maker, would be adding similar catechins/flavanols to your beverage of choice.

Additional addition - GENERALLY, use caution when trying new things and seek out a Traditional Medicinal Practitioner if interested in TCM therapies. The herbs that are used can have toxins, and preparation and amount used is important in addition to the particular blends of synergistic herbs - some benefits of one can counteract negative effects of another. Many of the wild herbs or functional foods that I list below may have medicinal benefits…in the hands of someone who knows what they are doing. If that does not describe you, then look for an expert and read more about the risks or cautions of the substance.

Various replies have pointed out that the following list contains some risky items. Narcissus bulbs are similar to daffodil bulbs and both are high in oxalate which would be prickly pain to eat in any quantity. Audrey Hepburn was orphaned during WWII and found tulip bulbs and some other herbs to eat while she was hungry and alone. Her digestive system had problems throughout her life after her hardship with starvation.

I can’t seem to copy/paste again…. my archives have an Audrey Hepburn.

(Ooi, et al, 2014)

The three top plants identified include Pandanus amaryllifolius (PYM2), Narcissus tazett, and Polygonatum odoratum (POL). Wait wut? Extensive search engine use to follow. the top three are followed by a list of the rest in alphabetical order. (Ooi, et al, 2014)

Pandanus amaryllifolius (PYM2), called Pandan used as cooked green leaves or a powdered green seasoning.

• Pandan is the common name of Pandanus amaryllifolius (PYM2). It is a spiky leaved tropical plant prized for culinary use in many Sri Lankan, Thai, and other South Asian dishes.

“The leaves [of Pandanus amaryllifolius (PYM2)] are often boiled, juiced, or used to wrap and flavor meats, while the fruit can be eaten raw or made into marmalade. Pandan fruit is also boiled and ground into an edible, highly nutritious paste that’s a staple food in a few parts of the world. Pandan leaves are commonly pulverized to produce an emerald-green extract. The more mature the leaf, the darker the hue and deeper the flavor.

Furthermore, pandan leaf powder is used to flavor both savory and sweet dishes. Its taste is described as a grassy vanilla with a hint of coconut.

What’s more, pandan has long been utilized in Ayurvedic medicine to treat constipation, boils, and cold- or flu-like symptoms (1, 2Trusted Source).” (healthline.com)

Narcissus tazetta are a fragrant flower called Narcissus.

Narcissus are grown for essential oil production, and the bulbs are used in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

• Narcissus tazett are the narcissus flower that we are familiar with as a variation of daffodils. They are grown for producing a fragrant essential oil. (Wikipedia)

Brave AI (summary) says it is the bulbs of Narcissus tazetta var. chinensis that are processed for a Traditional Chinese Medicine phytonutrient called pretazettine. It has been found to act as an antitumor compound which is applied topically to tumors in TCM.

Narcissus bulbs transport well, the plant is not native to China but was imported over a thousand years ago and became a prized part of their New Year celebration as a very early spring blooming plant. Chinese workers in the US (they were imported as workers to build our railroad tracks through mountainous regions) were lonely for their own culture and were responsible for importing and caring for Narcissus bulbs in the US. Thanks! (pacifichorticulture.org)

The Chinese New Year is a little later in the year than Western culture’s January 1 date. In 2025 the Chinese New Year begins January 29th and it will be the Year of the Snake.

Feeding narcissus bulbs to chickens doesn’t sound very economical… as an obvious flaw in this plan. The Dutch practically went to war with each other over tulip bulbs, as the Turkish import became trendy, the price of the bulbs skyrocketed - creating a Tulip Bubble, called Tulip Mania. (Brave AI summary)

Narcissus bulbs are prized by the Chinese as a symbol of the new year and by the Japanese as a symbol of delicate purity. (naturemeetsculturestories.wordpress.com)

Feeding them pomegranate peel would probably be cheaper and also probably protect against H5N1. It has shown efficacy against many bacterial and fungal infections and has shown reduction in the internalization and replication of the influenza virus. (Moradi, et al., 2020) Pom peel phytonutrients inhibit the fusion cleavage site of the GP120 protein that allows SARS-CoV-2 (Tito, et al., 2021) or HIV-1 to enter cells. The pomegranate peel extract was given with zinc sulfate in a study by Houston, et al, 2017, on HIV-1. (Houston, et al., 2017)

Flowering Narcissus, Narcissus tazett, By Zachi Evenor - Flickr: (flickr.com), CC BY 2.0, (commons.wikimedia.org).

Polygonatum odoratum (POL) - a medicinal wild herb called Solomon’s Seal

• Polygonatum odoratum (POL) is a wildflower known as Solomon’s Seal. It looks like a much taller version of Lily of the Valley when blooming, and then the flowers turn into little hard berries/seeds. It is a traditional folk medicinal herb used to treat arthritis, rheumatism, joint injuries, and spine injuries. (wildrootsapothecary.com)

“1. A screening platform was established to investigate antiviral agents from extracted herbal ingredients against infectious viruses, including avian influenza A (H5N1) virus.
2. More than 30 antiviral herbal fractions and compounds were screened for antiviral activity against H5N1 virus. Three proteins isolated from Pandanus amaryllifolius (PYM2), Narcissus tazett, and Polygonatum odoratum (POL) were identified to have most prominent anti-H5N1 potency. The efficacy of these proteins as antiviral products was investigated, as was molecular cloning and transgenic expression of both PYM2 and POL in bacteria (Escherichia coli) and POL in rice plants.
3. The proteins isolated from POL and the soluble seed protein from Gt1/SPPOL/POL transgenic rice showed a significant effect on inhibiting virus infection. This study provides the scientific basis for the use of anti-H5N1 ingredients as chicken feed.” (Ooi, et al, 2014).

Others on the list, in alphabetical order:

• Allium tuberosum is also known as Garlic Chives or Wild Leek. (plants.ces.ncsu.edu)

• Ardisia chinensis - a plant with rhizomes, a root type that seems to be found in a lot of medicinal species, see recent post. If you live in these areas - it might be growing wild “Mixed forests, hillsides, valleys, along streams, dark damp places; 300-800 m. Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Taiwan, Zhejiang [Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam]” (efloras.org)

• Caesalpinia minax is a pretty flower with fragrant and healing furanoditerpenes. “The inhibitory effect on Nitric oxide (NO) production for all compounds was evaluated in vitro. Furanoditerpenes were responsible for this herb’s anti-inflammation activity.” (Dong, et al., 2015)

• Cinnamomum cassia is a source of cinnamon and cinnamaldehyde which is known for strong antimicrobial and anti-diabetic effects. *I knew this one. :-)

• Dendrobium nobile - this is an orchid known as the Noble Rock Orchid that has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. It may have anti-cancer properties. (Xu, et al., 2023)

• Ganoderma lucidum (Lingzhi or Reishi), is a Medicinal Mushroom. (Wachtel-Galor, et al., 2011)

• Hydroclathrus clathratus - abrown algae found throughout the oceans of the world. (Wikipedia)

• Ligustrum lucidum reduced oxidative stress caused by toxin exposure in lab animals. “Nuzhenzi, the fruit of Ligustrum lucidum Ait. (Oleaceae), is commonly used as tonic for kidney and liver in the traditional Chinese medicine prescription.” (Lin, et al., 2007)

• Narcissus tazett - *this is one of the top three. “Let them eat narcissus bulbs?”

• Pandanus amaryllifolius - *this is also one of the top three. “Let them eat green cake!” The plant is a cultivated source of Pandan leaves which are used as a cooked vegetable or as powdered green vanilla scented baking seasoning. The plant is sterile and only grows by propagating cuttings or suckers.

Green Pandan powder sponge cake - like an Angelfood or Lemon Chiffon Cake, but green and vanilla flavored. Sounds good! We need to be fighting Avian Flu, ;-) Image: By Midori - Own work, CC BY 3.0, (commons.wikimedia.org)

• Pithecellobium clypearia, extracts of this medicinal herb were found to inhibit antibiotic resistant MRSA infection. (Liu, et al., 2020) It has phytonutrient flavanols similar to pomegranate peel. (Li, et al., 2021)

  • Reminder: Flavanols: Catechin, Epicatechin, Gallocathechin, EGCG, Proanthocyanidins; 400/600 mg per day intake of this type of flavonoid is the new dietary recommendation by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (Crowe-White, et al, 2022).

The ethanol extract of the leafy upper parts of Pithecellobium clypearia have catechins, gallic acid metabolites, similar to pomegranate peel: “…a popular traditional Chinese medicine, has a significant anti-inflammatory effect. The crude water extract of the aerial part of P. clypearia has been clinically applied to treat upper respiratory tract infections, acute gastroenteritis, laryngitis, and pharyngitis. However, the therapeutic mechanism of ethanol fraction of water extract (ESW) of P. clypearia to treat psoriasis should be complemented. […] The current study illustrated that ESW is composed mainly of gallic acid, ethyl gallate, quercitin, 7-O-galloyltricetiflavan, quercetin, and myricetin by UHPLC-MS/MS analysis.” (Li, et al., 2021)

• Pleuratus tuber-regium is a species of edible gilled fungus - known as the King Tuber mushroom. It grows wild, native in tropical areas of Africa, Asia, and Australasia. It is considered a ‘functional food’ - a food that has medicinal value.

• Polygonatum odoratum *this was one of the top three. Soloman’s Seal wildflower.

• Prunella vulgaris (PVL) is a wildflower herb called Common Self-Heal or Heal-All. That sounds promising. (Pan, Wang, Chen, 2022)

“Modern pharmacological studies have shown that PVL has a wide range of pharmacological activities, including anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, antibacterial and antiviral effects, as well as immune regulation, antihypertensive, hypoglycemic, lipid-lowering, antioxidant, free radical scavenging, liver protection, sedative and hypnotic effects.” (Pan, Wang, Chen, 2022)

• Sargassum patens is a brown algae or seaweed. (Rushdi, et al., 2020) See below for more on brown seaweed as a functional food against cancer and other conditions.

• Schefflera heptaphylla is a small to medium sized semi-deciduous or evergreen tropical tree which is also grown in pots as a tropical houseplant called the Umbrella Plant. (thespruce.com) The stem bark has Triterpenoid saponins. “All the saponins were evaluated for their inhibitory effects on lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide production in RAW264.7 cells, and 2, 6, 7, and 10 showed anti-inflammatory activities under their noncytotoxic concentrations.” (Wu, et al., 2013) It traditionally is used for coagulant effects, helping to stop bleeding. “Schefflera heptaphylla (L.) Frodin, are commonly used in anti-inflammatory, analgesic, traumatic bleeding and hemostasisas.” (Liu, et al., 2019)

How to Grow and Care for Schefflera (Umbrella Plant) Inside, The Spruce / Kara Riley

• Scutellaria baicalensis is known as Skullcap herb and is a source of the potent anti-SARS-CoV-2 phytonutrient called baicalin. I add Skullcap herb to my coffeemaker now. I also have made Suntea with it and Pomegranate peel rind and a little Rooibus for more flavor.

• Selaginella sinensis are also known as spikemosses or lesser clubmosses and are used medicinally. It has shown “potent antiviral activity against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)”. (Ma, et al., 2001)

• Smilax glabra is used to make a gelling agent like powdered pectin of some sort and the medicinal food is a yummy dessert! “it is also known as tufuling (土茯苓) or chinaroot, china-root, and china root (a name it shares with the related S. china). Chinaroot is a key ingredient in the Chinese medical dessert guilinggao, which uses its ability to set certain kinds of jelly.” (Wikipedia)

• Sophora flavescens is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine as a root and may be called kushen. In TCM it may be used for “in combination with other medicinal plants in prescriptions to treat fever, dysentery, hematochezia, jaundice, oliguria, vulvar swelling, asthma, eczema, inflammatory disorders, ulcers and diseases associated with skin burns.” (He, et al., 2015) TCM specializes in synergistic combinations of herbs.

• Trollius chinensis is called Chinese Globeflower and is a pretty orange flower of the family Ranunculaceae. It grows wild in northern Eurasia: “found from southern Siberia to the southern Russian Far East, Sakhalin, the Kurils, Mongolia, Korea, and northern China.” (Wikipedia) Medicinal properties: (He, et al., 2024).

Chinese Globeflower: “Documented in the Supplements to the Compendium of Materia Medica, its medicinal properties encompass a spectrum of applications, including heat clearance, detoxification, alleviation of oral/throat sores, earaches, eye pain, cold-induced fever, and vision improvement. Furthermore, T. chinensis is used in clinical settings to treat upper respiratory infections, pharyngitis, tonsillitis, esoenteritis, canker, bronchitis, etc. It is mainly used to treat inflammation, such as inflammation of the upper respiratory tract and nasal mucosa. […polyphenols!] The active ingredients of the flower have fewer side effects, and it is used in children because of its minimal side effects, which has great research potential.” (He, et al., 2024).

• Wikstroemia indica is traditionally used as a medicinal herb. It is a small shrub with a toxic red berry and is commonly known as “tie bush, Indian stringbush, bootlace bush, or small-leaf salago (Chinese: 了哥王; pinyin: liǎo gē wáng)” (en.wikipedia.org)

• Youngia japonica, known as Oriental false hawksbeard. It has little yellow flowers similar to the shape of wild purple asters. Native wildflower of China and Japan, is now also spreading in southwestern areas of the United States. It does well in uprooted construction site areas. (Wikipedia) An ethanol extract showed potent antiviral effects. (Ooi, et al., 2006)

“TABLE. Anti-H5N1 activity of purified phytochemicals and proteins that have been isolated and experimentally proven to have antiviral potential against other viruses*” (Ooi, et al, 2014)

Brown Seaweed - Sargassum

Sargassum patens is a marine brown macroalga (seaweed) species within the genus Sargassum. It is commonly found growing in shallow ocean water and coral reefs in warm temperate and tropical oceans.

“Sargassum (F. Sargassaceae) is an important seaweed excessively distributed in tropical and subtropical regions. Different species of Sargassum have folk applications in human nutrition and are considered a rich source of vitamins, carotenoids, proteins, and minerals. Many bioactive compounds chemically classified as terpenoids, sterols, sulfated polysaccharides, polyphenols, sargaquinoic acids, sargachromenol, and pheophytin were isolated from different Sargassum species. These isolated compounds and/or extracts exhibit diverse biological activities, including analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, neuroprotective, anti-microbial, anti-tumor, fibrinolytic, immune-modulatory, anti-coagulant, hepatoprotective, and anti-viral activities.” (Rushdi, et al., 2020)

Let’s get to know our seaweeds better:

“Many marine algae are native to the Red Sea, which could be classified into brown algae (Phaeophyta), green algae (Chlorophyta), and red algae (Rhodophyta). Brown seaweeds are predominantly brown in color because of their contents of carotenoid fucoxanthin and polysaccharides, namely alginates, laminarins, fucans, and cellulose. Green seaweeds are characterized by their chlorophyll a and b content with ulvan being the major polysaccharide. While, in red seaweeds, the principal pigments are phycoerythrin, phycocyanin, and the primary polysaccharides are agars and carrageenans.^1” (Rushdi, et al., 2020)

See this post for more specifics on adding different types of dried seaweed to your diet. Kombu and Wakame are the main ‘brown algae’ types available as a dried food. They have shown efficacy against breast cancer. Wakame is the bright green leafy seaweed that is served as a cold salad with a little sesame seed and onion in a vinegar dressing. Kombu is added to soup broth to thicken it and then is removed, caution if glutamate sensitive as it is very rich in free glutamate - eat Wakame salad instead.

Wakame salad & other seaweeds; also herbal sun-teas - structured water beverages.

Disclaimer: This information is being provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of Fair Use and is not intended to provide individual health care guidance.

Reference List

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