A compound for the treatment of calcium oxalate kidney stone disease and viral infections caused by enveloped viruses which can be extracted and purified from leaves of the plant Eriobotrya japonica is disclosed. The compound has the following characteristics: inhibits calcium oxalate crystal growth in vitro; inhibits renal calcium oxalate crystal deposition in rats which are fed ethylene glycol, causes rats which are fed ethylene glycol and said compound to excrete less oxalate in their urine as compared to rats which are fed ethylene glycol without said compound; shows little or no loss in activity when exposed to an aqueous solution of pH 1.5 for 14 hours; shows increased activity when exposed to an aqueous solution of pH 12.7 for 15 hours; is polyanionic; is stable when heated in an aqueous solution (at pH of extract) at 98.degree. C. for 3 hours; water-soluble; insoluble in heptane, hexane, chloroform/methanol mix, diethyl ether, and ethanol/aqueous mix; binds to DEAE-A-25 Sephadex at pH 8.6; is eluted from the DEAE-A-25 Sephadex with 2M NaCl; and prevents cytopathogenicity of enveloped viruses such as herpes simplex virus. The present invention is also directed to a method for the treatment of calcium oxalate stone disease wherein the compound is administered, preferably for a prolonged period of time, to a patient suffering from or prone to calcium oxalate stone disease. The present invention is also directed to a method for the treatment of viral infection.
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 07/641,763 filed on Jan. 16, 1991, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,137,722, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
