Retroviral reverse transcriptase inhibitory activity in Thai herbs and spices: screening with Moloney murine leukemia viral enzyme.
Fifty-seven Thai herbs and spices were examined for their retroviral reverse transcriptase inhibitory activity. All herbs and spices were extracted with hot-water and methanol. Reverse transcriptase inhibitory activity of the extracts was determined by using Moloney Murine Leukemia Virus reverse transcriptase (M-MuLV-RT) reacted with 3H-dTTP and radioactivity measured with a scintillation counter. Eighty-one per cent (46/57) of hot-water extracts and 54% (31/57) of methanol extracts showed inhibitory activities. At a concentration of 125 micrograms/ml, 13% (6/46) of hot-water extracts, namely Eugenia caryophyllus Bullock et Harrison, Phyllanthus urinaria Linn., Terminalia belerica Roxb., Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn., Psidium guajava Linn. and Lawsonia inermis Linn., had a relative inhibitory ratio (IR) over 50%. They showed ratios of 100%, 91%, 75%, 74%, 61% and 60%, respectively. For methanol extracts, only 10% (3/31) had IR values over 50%. They were T. belerica, E. caryophyllus and N. nucifera which exhibited IR values of 83%, 54% and 54%, respectively.
Suthienkul
O
O
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Public Health, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Miyazaki
O
O
Chulasiri
M
M
Kositanont
U
U
Oishi
K
K
D000818:Animals; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009052:Leukemia Virus, Murine / Q000201:enzymology; D051379:Mice; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000201:enzymology*; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors; D017365:Spices / Q000032:analysis*; D013785:Thailand
D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors