2010 Volume 27 Issue 4 Pages 148-156
To examine the anti-influenza effect of maoto, a traditional Japanese herbal medicine, it was administered orally to adults with seasonal influenza A and compared with oseltamivir, a neuraminidase inhibitor, in the 2008 winter season. Of 20 patients (male 13, mean age 28.4), 12 were administered maoto and 8 were administered oseltamivir for five days. Symptom scores and body temperatures were recorded three times a day by the patients. We investigated the febrile/symptom duration, daily symptom score, body temperature, and dosage time of acetoaminophen. The mean febrile duration (21.4 hours) and the mean symptom duration (80.8 hours) in the maoto group did not differ significantly from those (20.0 and 84.4 hours, respectively) of the oseltamivir group. Mean body temperature on the first day (day 1) of administration of patients with maoto (37.6°C) was significantly lower than that of patients given oseltamivir (38.4 °C). Headache scores of the maoto group on day 1, 2, and 3 were significantly less than those of the oseltamivir group. Mean dosing time of acetaminophen, in case of high fever, of the maoto group (0.6 times) was less than that of the oseltamivir group (2.4 times). These results suggest that maoto relieves the fever and symptoms of patients with seasonal influenza A as well as oseltamivir, especially in the early phase of illness.
