earticle

영어

Kimchi is a traditional Korean fermented vegetable food known to contain various bioactive compounds produced during fermentation. In this study, we investigated the antiviral effects of a fermented cabbage Kimchi extract (FCK extract) against avian influenza virus (AIV, H9N2) using chicken embryonic eggs and a murine model. The FCK extract markedly inhibited AIV replication in chicken embryos and significantly reduced viral hemagglutinin titers. In addition, FCK extract suppressed viral neuraminidase activity, an essential enzyme involved in the release of newly formed virus particles. To evaluate its protective efficacy in vivo, the FCK extract was orally administered to 6-week-old BALB/c mice once daily for 15 days, and mice were intranasally challenged with AIV two days after the initiation of administration. Mice treated with the FCK extract exhibited significantly improved survival rates and attenuated clinical symptoms compared with the virus control group and the non-fermented cabbage Kimchi (N-FCK) extract group. Histopathological analysis revealed that lung tissue damage was markedly reduced in the FCK extract -treated mice relative to the control group. These findings suggest that oral administration of fermented cabbage Kimchi extract confers protective effects against AIV infection and that fermentation-derived antiviral components in FCK extract may contribute to this activity.