In vitro anti-herpes simplex viruses and anti-adenoviruses activity of twelve traditionally used medicinal plants in Taiwan.
As an effort to search for new antiviral agents from traditional medicine, the hot water (HW) extract of twelve traditionally used medicinal plants in Taiwan was evaluated for their in vitro anti-herpes simplex viruses (HSV; including HSV-1 and HSV-2) and anti-adenoviruses (ADV; including ADV-3, ADV-8 and ADV-11) activities with a XTT-based colorimetric assay. Results showed that the tested HW extracts exhibited anti-HSV and anti-ADV activities at different magnitudes of potency. Among the twelve medicinal plants, Boussingaultia gracilis var. pseudobaselloides (Basellaceae) and Serissa japonica (Rubiaceae) possessed broad spectrum of antiviral activity. Ardisia squamulosa (Myrsinaceae) and Artemisai princeps var. orientalis (Compositae) were more effective in inhibiting ADV-8 replication than the other four viruses. Cell cytotoxic assay demonstrated that all tested HW extracts had CC50 values higher than their EC50 values. It was concluded that the twelve traditionally used medicinal plants in Taiwan possessed antiviral activity, and some of them merit further investigation.
Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Lien-Chai
LC
Chiang
Hua-Yew
HY
Cheng
Mei-Chi
MC
Liu
Wen
W
Chiang
Chun-Ching
CC
Lin
D000256:Adenoviridae / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D018515:Plant Leaves; D018547:Plant Stems; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D013624:Taiwan
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts