Antiviral activity of Petiveria alliacea against the bovine viral diarrhea virus.
BACKGROUND
Natural products are a relevant source of antiviral drugs. Five medicinal plants used in Argentina have been assayed to detect inhibition of viral growth.


METHODS
Antiviral activity of the infusions and methanolic extracts of Aristolochia macroura, Celtis spinosa, Plantago major, Schinus areira, Petiveria alliacea and four extracts obtained from the leaves and stems of the last plant were evaluated by the plaque assay.


RESULTS
P. alliacea, unlike A. macroura, C. spinosa, P. major and S. areira, inhibited bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) replication. Neither P. alliacea nor the assays of the other plants were active against herpes simplex virus type 1, poliovirus type 1, adenovirus serotype 7 and vesicular stomatitis virus type 1. Four extracts of P. alliacea were assayed to detect anti-BVDV activity. Ethyl acetate (EC(50) of 25 microg/ml) and dichloromethane (EC(50) of 43 microg/ml) extracts were active; moreover, promising SI (IC(50)/EC(50)) values were obtained.


CONCLUSIONS
BVDV is highly prevalent in the cattle population, there are no antiviral compounds available; additionally, it is a viral model of the hepatitis C virus. For these reasons and in view of the results obtained, the isolation and characterization of the antiviral components present in the P. alliacea extracts is worth carrying out in the future.
Cátedra de Virología, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
M J
MJ
Ruffa
M
M
Perusina
V
V
Alfonso
M L
ML
Wagner
M
M
Suriano
C
C
Vicente
R
R
Campos
L
L
Cavallaro
D000818:Animals; D001118:Argentina; D001912:Bovine Virus Diarrhea-Mucosal Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002417:Cattle; D001908:Diarrhea Viruses, Bovine Viral / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D029602:Phytolaccaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry
D010936:Plant Extracts