The antiviral Chinese rhubarb

For experimental hypercholesterolemia, rhubarb or water extract can significantly reduce serum total cholesterol, while petroleum ether extract is ineffective.
Antiviral. Rhubarb decoction has a strong inhibitory effect on influenza virus. The minimal effective dose was 5 mg per embryo by semi-in vivo screening of chicken embryos. In addition, it has certain inhibitory effects on histolytic amoeba, Trichomonas hominis and Trichomonas vaginalis.

Antibacterial. Rhubarb has a broad spectrum of antimicrobial agents, including Staphylococcus (white, lemon, golden), Streptococcus haemolyticus (A, B), Mycobacterium phlei, Bacillus subtilis, dysentery bacilli, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, typhoid and paratyphoid bacilli, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, gonorrhoeae diplococcus, scaly coccus preputis, anthrax pole. Bacteria, especially Staphylococcus and Gonorrhea diplococcus, are the most sensitive. Rhein, emodin and aloe-emodin have the strongest antimicrobial activity. Rhubarb can inhibit intestinal anaerobic bacteria Pseudomonas fragilis, which can decompose complex bile acid into free bile acid, enhance the irritation to mucosa and cause cholecystitis. The main mechanism of antimicrobial action is the inhibition of nucleic acid and protein synthesis and glycometabolism in bacterial cells.