title: Inhibition of HIV-1 replication by an aqueous extract of Spirulina platensis (Arthrospira platensis).
abstract: An aqueous extract of the blue-green filamentous algae Arthrospira platensis (previously called Spirulina platensis) inhibited HIV-1 replication in human T-cell lines, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), and Langerhans cells (LC). Extract concentrations ranging between 0.3 and 1.2 microg/ml reduced viral production by approximately 50% (50% effective concentration [EC50]) in PBMCs. The 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of extract for PBMC growth ranged between 0.8 and 3.1 mg/ml. Depending on the cell type used, therapeutic indices ranged between 200 and 6000. The extract inactivated HIV-1 infectivity directly when preincubated with virus before addition to human T-cell lines. Fractionation of the extract revealed antiviral activity in the polysaccharide fraction and also in a fraction depleted of polysaccharides and tannins. We conclude that aqueous A platensis extracts contain antiretroviral activity that may be of potential clinical interest.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Viral Pathogenesis, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ayehunie
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Belay
authors.forename: T W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Baba
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Ruprecht
mesh_terms: D002460:Cell Line; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D000458:Cyanobacteria / Q000737:chemistry*; D005562:Formazans; D015726:Giant Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24 / Q000032:analysis; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D019169:Jurkat Cells; D007801:Langerhans Cells / Q000821:virology; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D013634:Tannins / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D005562:Formazans; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24; D011134:Polysaccharides; D013634:Tannins; C059088:1,5-bis(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-3-((phenylamino)carbonyl)formazan