JP5770702B2 - Cold prevention and treatment composition - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to the use of Cistus for the manufacture of a composition or formulation for the prevention and / or treatment of common cold diseases (viral cold).

  Typical colds include respiratory tract infections such as cough and bronchitis as well as nasal colds, tonsillitis and pharyngitis. Usually these alternate, but the cold may also remain only in the nose, pharynx or bronchi. This kind of cold is also called "virus cold". These are not to be confused with influenza caused by influenza viruses, which show a much longer and more severe disease progression, generally with fever.

  The above cold is caused by viruses as well. Because there are, for example, over 100 different viruses that can cause colds, it is almost impossible to develop a vaccine against them. Thus, in general, treatment for nasal colds or colds is directed at relieving symptoms. Usually, home therapy that has withstood many trials is used in these cases. For example, strong nasal obstruction can be improved by inhalation of hot vapor. As a result, swelling of the nasal mucosa is reduced and mucus discharge is promoted. This can be facilitated, for example, by adding a few drops of tea tree oil or chamomile oil to hot water. It is also known that routine irrigation of the nose with saline can reduce susceptibility to colds.

  In addition to self-help treatment, the medication can help constrict blood vessels within the swollen nasal mucosa, resulting in smoothing of the nasal mucosa. However, nasal drops for reducing swelling of the nasal mucosa should not be used for more than 2 or 3 days. After this period, when the drops are stopped, the nasal mucosa may become increasingly swollen and “rebound swelling” (drug rhinitis) may occur.

  Unlike chemically synthesized nasal sprays, herbal medicines have few side effects. Even when used for a long time, it does not damage the nasal mucosa and does not cause drug-induced rhinitis. The sooner the phytopharmaceutical is administered, the more effective it is. Herbal medicines can be used early as a treatment for the first signs of cold. Herbal medicines also prevent the spread of infection.

  For example, echinacea formulations are often taken for colds, whereby a great number of different medicines with variable phytochemical compositions are marketed. However, comparative studies on the effectiveness of these phytotherapeutics exist only slightly and the results are inconsistent. More recently, however, new studies have revealed that echinacea does not have the expected efficacy. These tests were performed using three echinacea preparations with different phytochemical profiles, but these preparations used E.-angustifolia roots with carbon dioxide, 60% ethanol or 20% ethanol. Obtained by extraction. A total of 437 rhinovirus-infected volunteers who participated in the study were given medications for prophylaxis 7 days before exposure to the virus or for treatment at the time of exposure. This study included a control group that received a placebo. There were no significant differences between the three echinacea extracts and placebo in terms of infection rate, severity of symptoms, nasal secretion, leukocyte concentration, interleukin-8 concentration in nasal wash water or quantitative virus titer (Deutsches Arzteblatt 102, Issue 48 from 2 December 2005, page A-3341 / B-2822 / C-2640 and the New England Journal of Medicine, 2005, 353, 341-348).

  Further plant-based medicaments are extracts from the roots of Pelargonium eniforme or sidoides, marketed under the name Umckaloabo®. Uncaro Avo® is traditionally used for gastrointestinal diseases as well as airway diseases. Ingredients that determine efficacy are currently considered to be a number of antibacterial agents and immunomodulatory components such as coumarins and tannins. Although this extract is thought to exert antibacterial, antiviral and secretory lytic effects, it has not yet gained enough experience in this field, so it is not suitable for pregnant or lactating women, or for liver or kidney disease or bleeding tendency. Enhancing patients should not use this medication. Furthermore, Uncaro Avo (R) is very expensive compared to other plant medicines.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is an antiviral preventive and / or therapeutic composition for cold (viral cold), which can be produced economically and has no side effects when administered or It is to provide such a composition with few side effects.

  This object is solved by the use of cystas for the manufacture of a composition for the prevention and / or treatment of colds (viral colds).

It is a figure which shows the result of the viability test using the propidium iodide dyeing | staining of A549 cell processed with the cistus extract. It is a figure which shows the result of the viability test using the propidium iodide dyeing | staining of the MDCK cell processed with the cistus extract. It is a figure which shows the result of the apoptosis test of A549 cell processed with the cistus extract.

  As used herein, cold is understood as inflammation of the respiratory tract (generally refers to the nose, pharynx, larynx, trachea and bronchi). In this case, the terms “cold” and “viral cold” are used synonymously. Viral cold is distinguished from influenza in that influenza is caused only by influenza virus.

  On the other hand, viral colds are usually caused by adenoviruses, coronaviruses and / or rhinoviruses.

  Adenoviruses (Adenoviridae) belong to a family of cubic DNA viruses without envelopes and have a diameter of 60-90 nm. The genome consists of linear double stranded DNA approximately 36 kb in length. There are approximately 50 immunologically distinct adenovirus types, with approximately 35 human pathogenic types in subfamilies AF. The adenoviridae family is divided into genera such as Mastadenovirus (which can infect mammals) and Aviadenovirus (which is unique to various birds). Adenoviruses are characterized by abnormal stability under chemical and physical influences and are resistant to the most unfavorable pH levels, which allows for relatively long survival times outside the host body.

  Adenoviruses primarily cause airway diseases. However, depending on the specific serotype, several other diseases can also be caused, for example gastroenteritis, conjunctivitis, cystitis, pharyngitis or diarrhea. Symptoms of airway diseases caused by adenovirus range from colds to bronchitis to pneumonia. In patients with a weakened immune system, there is special susceptibility to serious complications due to adenovirus infections such as ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome). Furthermore, it has been speculated that there is a correlation between viral Ad-36 and human obesity.

  Coronavirus belongs to the genus Coronaviridae and is generally a mild disease of human upper respiratory tract, rare gastroenteritis, and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) caused by SARS-related coronavirus SARS-CoV )cause.

  Coronaviruses are classified into a family of RNA viruses that have envelopes and exhibit polymorphism, and have a diameter of 70-160 nm. Coronaviruses have a single-stranded positive-sense RNA that is 20-30 kb in length. The genus of the Coronaviridae is divided into three genera: coronavirus, arterivirus and torovirus. Of these, only the coronavirus genus contains human pathogenic viruses. Transmission of this virus can occur as a filth or smear infection (fecal / oral) by droplet infection (gas productivity), or even by simple contact with an infected person (mechanical). In this case, young infectious organisms can be more severe than older infectious organisms. Coronaviruses cause 15-30% of human colds and cause mild fever, nasal colds, cough and sore throat.

  Acute or chronic irritation of the nasal mucosa with symptoms of itchiness, sneezing, secretion and nasal congestion caused by infectious, allergic and non-allergic mechanisms is called rhinitis, nasal catarrh, cold, be called. The pathogen is usually from the genus Picornavirus to Rhinovirus. Rhinovirus infection occurs by direct transmission, eg, contaminated hand or droplet infection.

  To date, over 115 serotypes belonging to this genus have been identified. Rhinovirus has a single-stranded positive sense RNA (messenger RNA) of 7.2 to 8.5 kb in length. These are naked viruses with an icosahedral structure and a diameter of 24-30 nm. The 10-15 nm thick protein envelope (capsid) surrounding RNA consists of 60 symmetrically arranged subunits called protomers. Each protomer consists of four capsid proteins VP1, VP2, VP3 and VP4. Many protomers are thought to be responsible for rhinovirus antigenic diversity.

  As already mentioned, colds are usually caused by adenoviruses, coronaviruses and / or rhinoviruses. Depending on the type of infecting virus, cold complaints such as nasal cold, cough, hoarseness, sore throat (e.g. caused by inflammation of the tonsils and pharynx), joint pain and headache, chills, mild fever and extreme fatigue Arise. In the present specification, bronchitis and bronchial pneumonia are also counted as colds.

  Of these colds, winter cold noses are the most common. Nasal colds are caused by rhinovirus infection or, to a lesser extent, adenovirus. The compositions or formulations described herein are preferably used for the prevention and / or treatment of nasal colds.

  Furthermore, along with colds, bacterial infections can be "set up" with existing viral infections. This type of infection is referred to as a secondary bacterial infection or mycosis. The use of the composition according to the invention also relates to the prevention and / or treatment of secondary infections of these bacteria.

According to the present invention, a cistus plant is used to produce a composition for preventing and / or treating viral cold infection. In the genus Cytus, 20 species are known:
C. albidus L.
C. Kinamadensis Banares & P. Romero (C. chinamadensis Banares & P. Romero)
C. clusii Dunal
C. crispus L.
C. heterophyllus Desf.
C. incanus (also called C. creticus or C. villosus )
C. Infratus Pourr. Ex Demoly (C. inflatus Pourr. Ex Demoly) (also known as C. hirsutus Lam. Or C. psilosepalus Sweet)
C. ladanifer L.
C. laurifolius L.
C. libanotis L.
C. monspeliensis L.
C. munbyi Pomel
C. ocreatus Chr. Sm. Ex Buch (C. ochreatus Chr. Sm. Ex Buch)
C. osbeckiifolius Webb ex Christ.
C. parviflorus Lam.
C. populifolius L.
C. pouzolzii Deute
C. salviifolius L.
C. sintenisii Litard (also called C. albanicus EF Warburg ex Heywood)
C. symphytifolius Lam.

  Preferably, the composition is made from C. incanus species. C. incanus contains two subspecies: C. incanus ssp. Tauricus and C. incanus ssp. Undulatus. Of these, C. incanus taurix subspecies is particularly preferred for use in the composition.

  The individual components of cistus plants are not yet fully known. However, it is already known that cistus has a high content of polyphenols. Of these polyphenols, flavonoids are particularly representative.

  Flavonoids basically consist of two aromatic rings and one oxygen-containing heterocycle. Using structural differences with respect to O-heterocycles, flavonoids can be divided into the following six groups: flavonols, flavanols, flavanones, flavones, anthocyanins and isoflavanoids. Some of the components detected in cistus plants include flavonols (e.g. quercetin and myricetin and their glycosides), flavan-3-ols (catechins) (e.g. (+)-gallocatechin and (+)-gallocatechin-3- O-gallate) and catechin dimers and oligomers (proanthocyanidins).

  Further components include α-pinene, camphene and terpenoids such as labda-7,13-dien-15-ol, 8α, 15-labdandiol, labdanolic acid, laurifolinic acid, acetyllaurifolinic acid, 8,13-epoxy -15-dimethoxy-ent-labdane, 3a-hydroxy-ent-13-epimanoyl oxide (= rivenol), salmantic acid, salmantidiol, halimidic acid, dihydrohaliminic acid, 2s-hydroxy-dihydrohaliminic acid, Cystdioic acid, cystdiol, ent-kauran-16,17-diol, dihydroabietic acid methyl ester, cabraleon and 20,25-epoxy-24-hydroxydanmaran-3-one [R. Hegnauer, Chemotaxonomie der Pflanzen Vol. VIII S. 1989, 246-247].

The composition used for this invention is manufactured from the above-ground part of a plant. Preferably, shoots on the ground of the plant that have returned to their original length when grown in the same year are used. All elements of the aerial part of the plant can be used, for example leaves, stems or flowers. Preferably, the stem is used with leaves and flowers. Plant parts can be squeezed immediately after harvesting (ie, in the raw state) after being finely crushed as needed to produce a squeeze from dried or pressed ones. In other embodiments, the plant parts are subjected to extraction with a solvent, such as soaking or percolation, in the raw state. The plant parts can also be crushed into small pieces by drying and / or then in an appropriate manner before extraction, for example by rubbing or cutting them.

For the compositions used in the present invention, pressed plant juices or extracts, dried and, where appropriate, crushed plant elements into small pieces, are used. According to the invention, the term “extract” is typically used for all products obtained by extraction with a solvent, for example by immersion or percolation.

  Preferably, the composition is in the form of an extract from a cistus plant.

  In general, extraction with a suitable solvent is performed. Suitable solvents include water, alcohols (eg methanol, ethanol or isopropyl alcohol) or chlorinated solvents (eg dichloromethane) as well as acetone, acetylacetone, ethyl acetate, ammonia or glacial acetic acid, and also supercritical carbon dioxide.

  Mixtures of the aforementioned solvents can also be used. Preferably, water or a mixture of water and methanol or ethanol is used. The extraction is usually performed at a temperature from 25 ° C. to the boiling point of the solvent used, if appropriate. Extraction at 95-100 ° C is preferred.

  Furthermore, fats (eg pork fat), waxes (eg beeswax) or oils (eg olive oil and almond oil) can be used for extraction. Preferably, almond oil is used.

  Plant material can be extracted many times to obtain the maximum yield. In this case, different solvents can be used in the various extraction steps, or extraction with a solvent can be followed by extraction with a fat, wax or oil, and vice versa.

  Extraction yields a liquid, semi-solid or solid raw product that can be used in this form to produce a composition for the prevention and / or treatment of colds.

  Usually, the soaking procedure is carried out for the period described above by pouring the solvent mixture onto the plant element using a mixture of water and ethanol at room temperature and leaving it in this state for 5-9 days, preferably 7 days.

  According to the present invention, percolation of plant parts is usually achieved by passing the plant parts through water and treating the parts with water at 95-100 ° C. for 4-5 hours.

  The raw product obtained from solvent extraction, such as immersion or percolation, can also be concentrated and / or dried and / or further processed before use. Further processing can include, for example, cleaning steps known to those skilled in the art, such as centrifugation, filtration and decantation, to remove floating material from the extract.

  The extract thus obtained can then be further processed into a dry extract. In order to produce a dry extract, the solvent can be removed from the liquid raw extract, concentrated extract or purified extract, for example by spray drying, freeze drying or vacuum drying.

  Compositions from cistus plants can be used for the prevention and / or treatment of cold in each of the aforementioned forms.

  The composition is preferably used for the prevention and / or treatment of cold caused by rhinovirus, adenovirus or coronavirus.

  Thus, the composition according to the invention can be administered as a medicament. In addition to therapeutic use, the composition is also suitable for non-therapeutic prevention and / or treatment of cold.

  For both medical and non-medical applications, each dosage form known to the person skilled in the art, for example tablets, coated tablets, effervescent tablets, capsules, powders, granules, dragees, ointments, creams, gels, solutions or sprays The composition can be administered.

  In crude drugs and other dosage forms, the composition comprises conventional herbal supplements such as tablet binders, fillers, preservatives, tablet openers, flow regulators, softeners, wetting agents, dispersing agents, emulsifiers, solvents. , Retarders, antioxidants, consistency regulators, penetration improvers and / or propellant gases.

  Additional elements such as vitamins and minerals can be added to the compositions used in the present invention.

  The composition can be added to, for example, animal feed or food (such as beverages). The composition itself can also be decocted as tea in the form of an extract. However, it is also possible to pour hot water directly into the plant part, for example the leaves of a cistus plant, as a tea formulation. Furthermore, the composition can be a component of a dietary supplement that can contribute to the strengthening of body defenses by ingestion in winter, and as a result can contribute to the prevention of, for example, nasal cold infection.

  In other embodiments, the composition can be used in the present invention for the prevention and / or treatment of inflammation in the cold, in particular in the mouth and pharynx, as a solution, in particular a gargle.

  The composition can also be used in admixture with other plant components, in which case the components are preferably in the form of plant extracts. Preferably, a plant or plant extract component having a similar or synergistic effect is used.

  The concentration of the composition in the dosage form will vary depending on the type of administration. Generally, the amount of composition ranges from 0.5 to 1,000 mg per dosage unit for solid dosage forms. Preferably the amount of composition ranges from 1 to 500 mg per unit. In liquid dosage forms, the composition can be at a concentration of 1 μg / ml to 100 mg / ml, preferably at a concentration of 25 μg / ml to 50 mg / ml. In semi-solid dosage forms, the content of the composition is in the range of 1 to 90% by weight, preferably in the range of 5 to 75% by weight.

  Preferably, the composition is administered in the form of a tablet. In this case, the composition is preferably in the form of an extract. Most particularly preferably, the composition is in the form of a dry extract.

  For topical administration, it is further preferred that the composition is administered in the form of an emulsion, ointment, gel or cream. In this case, the composition is preferably used in the form of an extract in which the active substance is recovered from the plant by extraction with fat, wax or oil. It is further preferred that this extract is further processed into a dry extract, which is then mixed with or dissolved in a fat, wax or oil.

  Furthermore, it is preferred that the composition is in the form of an aerosol or room spray. Preferably, a cistus liquid or solid extract is used for this purpose. In addition to the extract, the aerosol or room spray container can also contain pharmaceutically innocuous substances, carriers and auxiliaries. Aerosols or room sprays can be used to disinfect objects or rooms that come into contact with or can come into contact with the cold virus, especially all types of means of transportation that carry people, animals and / or food. For example, an airplane according to the present invention or a room spray according to the present invention can be sprayed prior to takeoff to prevent the spread of the cold virus and consequently minimize the risk of human infection. . Aerosol or room spray containers can be sprayed in the presence of people, for example in waiting rooms, since they have no toxic effect on people.

  Furthermore, the composition can also be administered as a nasal agent or inhalation solution. Nasal sprays can be used as nasal sprays or nasal gels. A variety of applicators and dispersion systems can be used for administration. The use of cistus according to the invention is not limited to people but is also possible for animals, in particular mammals, such as pets or livestock.

  The following examples illustrate the invention in detail.

The cistus extract was tested not only for its cytotoxicity and cell viability, but also for its antiviral activity against rhinovirus. For this purpose, the extract was dissolved in PBS (sterile) with heating (1 h / 100 ° C.) (stock solution 1 mg / ml). The dose for in vitro testing was the 100 μg / ml system.
As a virus isolate, human rhinovirus type 14 was used.
HeLa cells (human cervical cancer cell lines) were used as host cell lines.

The following test methods were used to determine the characteristics of the extract.
Microscopy In microscopic examination, A549 lung epithelial cells and MDCK (Madin-Darby Canine Kidney cells) canine kidney epithelial cells were collected at various concentrations (9, 24 h, 32 h, 48 h) and various concentrations of extracts (2, 10, 25, 50 μg / ml) and then examined with a light microscope. The test was checked twice.

Survival Test In the survival test, A549 lung epithelial cells and MDCK canine kidney epithelial cells were extracted at various concentrations (24, 48, 56, 72 h) and various concentrations (2, 10, 25, 50 μg / ml). And then stained with propidium iodide to determine the relationship between dead and live cells using flow cytometry. The experiment was performed a total of 4 times.

Caspase activation test by apoptosis To test caspase activation by apoptosis, A549 cells were treated with extracts of 25 and 50 μg / ml for 48 hours. The cells are then lysed, cell proteins separated using gel electrophoresis, caspase cleavage of this protein by apoptosis in Western blots using an anti-PARP antibody (poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (caspase substrate)) Was tested. Staurosporine, an apoptosis inducer, was used as a positive control stimulus. The experiment was performed in two parallel batches.

Examples Production of extracts from cistus incanus taurix subspecies Regenerated ground shoots (leaves, flowers and stems) are used for extraction. In the open shade, the plant material is dried at room temperature until the residual water content is at most 10% at room temperature. Subsequently, the plant part is cut to a size of ≦ 8 mm.

  The cut plant parts are percolated at 95-100 ° C. for 4-5 hours with 10 volumes of purified water Ph.Eur. The resulting solution is concentrated to 18-19% of the original volume by a plate evaporator at a vapor temperature of 75-80 ° C. The dry matter content reaches approximately 45%.

  When using an evaporator with stirrer, heating the extract for 4 hours at 110-114 ° C. under reduced pressure (0.6 bar) increases the dry matter content to 50-51%. Subsequently, the extract is boiled at 100.3 ° C. for 1 hour in order to obtain approximately 53% dry substance.

  Finally, vacuum belt drying is performed at 16 mbar using a descending temperature gradient (140 ° C., 120 ° C., 90 ° C., 20 ° C.). The content of dry substance reaches 92-93%. Subsequently, the extract is ground. The stock solution is then made from this extract.

Microscopic examination
In the microscopic images of the test series using MDCK and A549 cells, there was a significant change in cell number and cell morphology, both in the extract concentration used and in the time values tested, compared to the untreated control samples. I couldn't.

Survival rate test The results of the survival rate test are shown in FIGS. In the figure, for comparison purposes, the number of viable cells from each of the samples is outlined as an average of the four measurements. No adverse effects of the extract on MDCK or A549 cell viability could be detected in the results throughout the 72 hour observation period.

3. Test of caspase activation by apoptosis In FIG. 3, the test result of caspase activation by apoptosis is shown. In the figure, the results of Western blot analysis for measuring caspase activity are shown. The control stimulator staurosporine (Stauro) results in efficient cleavage of the caspase substrate poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (cleaved PARP lane), but untreated (mock) or extract treated cells (25 μg / ml, 50 μg / ml), no such activity is seen. As a control for uniform protein loading, a control blot for protein ERK2 was used. As a result, it was concluded that treatment with plant extracts did not result in caspase activation and apoptosis induction at the use concentration and observation period.

  Tests on the morphology, viability and caspase activation of cells treated with cistus extract showed that extracts with concentrations up to 50 μg / ml showed no significant toxic effects on the A549 and MDCK host cells used herein. It has been shown not to induce increased cell death due to necrosis or apoptosis. Furthermore, since no significant decrease in cell number could be detected, cell proliferation was also not suppressed by the extract effect.

Antiviral activity test Rhinovirus culture
Four T175 flasks with 80% HeLa cells were seeded with human rhinovirus type 14 (HRV) and incubated for 1 week at 33 ° C. To do this, 50 μl of HRV14 (virus titer 10 ⁸ / ml TCID (tissue culture infectious dose)) was added to 16 ml of infection medium (DMEM (Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium), 2% FCS (fetal bovine serum), 10-20 mM. Mix with MgCl ₂ ) and add 4 ml to each T175. Each T175 is then filled with 10 ml of infection medium so that there is 14 ml of infection medium in each T175. As soon as 70% of the adherent cells are lysed, the virus is collected.

Rhinovirus purification To remove the cell pellet, the virus supernatant is first centrifuged at 3,000 rpm for 30 minutes. Using an ultracentrifuge, on a sucrose cushion (1.5 ml of 65% sucrose aqueous solution, 10 μl PBS (phosphate buffered saline) 300 μl, water 1.2 ml), 35,000 rpm (rotor type SW41 Ti, in a Beckman polyallomer tube), Centrifuge the virus supernatant for 3 hours at 4 ° C. and mix the pellet with 100 μl of infection medium. Further virus concentration is performed using a 100 kDa cut-off filter (Centricon YM100) at 4 ° C. and 3,300 rpm for 1 hour. The retentate contains the purified virus concentrate and the filtrate is discarded.

Antiviral activity test (tissue culture infectious dose (TCID) assay)
The day before, seed 5 × 10 4 HeLa cells in DMEM medium in a 96-well plate so that the next day the cells are approximately 70% confluent. The next day, DMEM medium is removed by aspiration and replaced with 90 μl of infection medium (DMEM, 2% FCS, 10-20 mM MgCl ₂ ). In the first row of 96 wells, infection is caused with 10 μl of virus containing solution at a maximum concentration of 100 μg / ml. After mixing these 100 μl by pipetting up and down, add 10 μl of them to the second row of 96 wells. Repeat this procedure in subsequent columns (1:10 dilution series). Two or three batches are made simultaneously and used for evaluation.

  Plates thus treated are incubated for 5 days at 33 ° C. in an incubator. On day 5, the plate is washed at least twice with PBS and stained with 100 μl crystal violet (0.07% in pure ethanol) for 5 hours per 96 wells. The plate is then washed with water and patted several times (approximately 10 times) to dry. Blue indicates viable cells. Dead cells are washed away from the wall, leaving a white background.

  To test the effect of cistus extract on susceptibility to HRV14, either 100 μg / ml cistus extract is added to the infection medium or the virus is further pretreated with 100 μg / ml cistus extract for 1 hour I did.

  As a result, it is confirmed that the cistus extract can prevent infection and thus can prevent destruction of the cell layer both in the infection medium and after further preincubation of the virus in all batches performed. I was able to. At the concentration used, the cistus extract did not show any detectable detrimental effect on the cells. This demonstrates the inhibitory effect of cistus extract on rhinovirus susceptibility.

Claims (11)

A composition for preventing and / or treating cold, comprising cistus,
The cistus is cistus incanus, cistus clitics or cistus virulosus,
The wind is characterized by a primary infection caused by a rhinovirus, provided that when said composition is an extract of Cistus, the extract is Ru der aqueous extract or an alcoholic extract, composition .   The composition of claim 1 for the treatment of colds. The composition according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein an aerial part of a plant is used. 4. A composition according to at least one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the composition is in liquid, dry or semi-solid form. The composition according to at least one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the composition is a cistus plant extract. The composition according to at least one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the composition is administered orally or topically. 7. A composition according to at least one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein the composition is in the form of a nasal spray or an inhalation mixture. 7. A composition according to at least one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein the composition is in the form of an aerosol or room spray. The composition according to at least one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein the composition is in the form of a tablet, coated tablet, effervescent tablet, capsule, powder, granule or dragee. 7. A composition according to at least one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein the composition is in the form of an ointment, gel or cream. The composition according to at least one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein the composition is in the form of a gargle.

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