The Mechanism, Clinical Efficacy, and Application Optimization Strategies of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Combating Influenza Virus

Influenza is an acute respiratory infectious disease with fever, cough, and general discomfort as the main symptoms after infection with influenza virus, which can cause a certain proportion of deaths. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has made great breakthroughs in the research and development of anti-influenza drugs with its unique effectiveness, and the field is also developing new drugs. A large number of clinical evidence also confirmed that some TCM ingredients such as berberine and forsythin can play a good role in anti-influenza virus in vivo and in vitro. In addition, some compound preparations, such as the Lianhua Qingwen capsule, have even played more important roles in clinical practice than Western medicine alone. However, the metabolic process in vivo and the synergy of different action sites need to be further clarified. Based on the pathogenic mechanism of the influenza virus, this paper further elaborated the mechanism of action of flavonoids, alkaloids, and other active ingredients of TCM on the virus, and then systematically summarized the clinical efficacy and effect of TCM against influenza and the application scheme of improving the combination of drugs. In addition, this topic provides a certain reference value for explaining the mechanism of TCM against the influenza virus and the methods of clinical use of TCM. However, there are still some problems to be further explored, such as the mechanism of TCM ingredients acting on the human body, the mechanism of action between TCM ingredients, and the safety of long-term use.