title: Methyl gallate, methyl-3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoate, is a potent and highly specific inhibitor of herpes simplex virus in vitro. I. Purification and characterization of methyl gallate from Sapium sebiferum.
abstract: A potent anti-herpetic compound was identified and purified to homogeneity from the leaves of Sapium sebiferum by plaque reduction assay using herpes simplex virus type 2. The chemical structure of the purified compound was determined by mass spectroscopy and proton and carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance as methyl gallate, methyl-3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoate. This is the first demonstration that methyl gallate is a potent anti-herpetic compound in vitro, present in high concentration in the leaves of S. sebiferum, a Chinese folk medicine for shingles.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock 72205.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Kane
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Menna
authors.forename: Y C
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Yeh
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005707:Gallic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000032:analysis*; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000187:drug effects*; D014462:Ultrafiltration; D010948:Viral Plaque Assay
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; C052082:methyl gallate; D005707:Gallic Acid