Pharmaceutical compositions and method of using same

A process for preparing a purified extract from Radix scutellariae, Flos lonicerae, and Fructus forsythiae, said extract having antiviral, antibacterial, or immunostimulating activity in a mammal, said process comprising the steps of:

• (1) preparing an extract of Radix scutellariae, which comprises the steps of:
• (a) extracting Radix scutellariae with water at a temperature above about 25.degree. C. to provide a first extract;
• (b) concentrating the first extract to provide a first concentrate having a relative density of from about 1.20 to about 1.25 at 80.degree. C.;
• (c) adjusting the pH of the first concentrate to a level of from about 1 to about 2 at 80.degree. C.;
• (d) cooling the concentrate from step (c) to produce a precipitate and recovering the precipitate;
• (e) mixing the precipitate with water to obtain a paste;
• (f) adjusting the pH of the paste using NaOH to about 7;
• (g) dissolving the paste from step (f) in ethanol to obtain a first ethanolic solution;
• and optionally filtering the solution to remove any suspended impurities;
• and
• (h) concentrating the first ethanolic solution to obtain an extract of Radix scutellariae having a relative density less than about 1.03 at 40.degree. C.;
• and
• (2) preparing a combined extract of Flos lonicerae and Fructus forsythiae which comprises the steps of:
• (a) extracting a mixture of Flos lonicerae and Fructus forsythiae with water at a temperature above about 25.degree. C. to provide a second extract and a residue;
• (b) extracting the residue with boiling water to obtain a third extract;
• (c) combining the second and third extracts to provide a fourth extract;
• (d) concentrating the fourth extract to provide a second concentrate having a relative density of from about 1.20 to about 1.25 at 80.degree. C.;
• (e) cooling the second concentrate from step (d) to about 40.degree. C.;
• (f) adding ethanol to the second concentrate from step (e) to obtain a second ethanolic solution having an ethanol concentration of 75% and removing any precipitate from the solution;
• (g) concentrating the second ethanolic solution from step (f) to remove the ethanol and recovering a residual liquid;
• (h) combining the residual liquid from step (g) with ethanol to obtain a mixture having an ethanol concentration of 85%;
• (i) allowing the mixture from step (h) to stand;
• (j) filtering the mixture from step (i) to recover a third ethanolic solution;
• and
• (k) concentrating the third ethanolic solution from step (i) to obtain the combined extract of Flos lonicerae and Fructus forsythiae;
• and
• (3) combining the extract of Radix scutellariae from step (1) and the combined extract of Flos lonicerae and Fructus forsythiae from step (2) to obtain the purified extract wherein said purified extract is suitable for use in aerosol formulation.