Antiviral Activity of Melissa officinalis (Lemon Balm) Extract.

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Abstract
Summary Hot-water extracts of the plant Melissa officinalis (lemon balm herb), when injected into embryonated eggs, protect them against the lethal action of Semliki Forest, Newcastle, vaccinia, and herpes simplex viruses. Plaques produced by these viruses in chick embryo cell monolayers can be suppressed by applying melissa extract-impregnated antibiotic-sensitivity discs to the agar overlay surface. Injection of 10% gelatin into eggs before or after injection of melissa extract largely eliminates the antiviral effect. Melissa extracts precipitate gelatin and the antiviral activity can be recovered from the precipitate. It is suggested that the active moiety is a tannin or tannin-like polyphenol that perhaps acts at the cell surface.

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