title: Antiviral activities of some Ethiopian medicinal plants used for the treatment of dermatological disorders.
abstract: Acokanthera schimperi (Apocynaceae), Euclea schimperi (Ebenaceae), Inula confertiflora (Asteraceae), Melilotus elegans (Leguminosae), and Plumbago zeylanica (Plumbaginaceae), are some of the medicinal plants used in Ethiopia for treatment of various skin disorders. In this study, the antiviral activities of the 80% methanolic extracts of these plants have been examined against coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3), influenza A virus and herpes simplex virus type1 Kupka (HSV-1) using cytopathic effect (CPE) inhibitory assays in HeLa, MDCK, and GMK cells, respectively. In parallel, the cytotoxicity was quantified using a crystal violet uptake assay. The antiviral activity of the most active compound was confirmed with plaque reduction assays. The results revealed that the extracts of Acokanthera schimperi and Euclea schimperi showed antiviral activity against all three tested viruses albeit with unequal efficacy. Whereas the Acokanthera schimperi extract exhibited the strongest activity against CVB3, the extract of Euclea schimperi inhibited influenzavirus A replication most effectively. A weak anti-influenzavirus A activity was also exhibited by the other plant extracts tested. In addition, CVB3 was inhibited by the extracts of Plumbago zeylanica and HSV-1 by Inula confertiflora. Thus, the extracts of these plants, particularly those of Acokanthera schimperi, Euclea schimperi and Inula confertiflora which showed activity against CVB3 and HSV-1 support their traditional use in the treatment of skin diseases of viral origin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box, 1176 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gebre-Mariam
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Neubert
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wutzler
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schmidtke
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D004285:Dogs; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005002:Ethiopia; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018514:Plant Structures; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts