Plant and animal steroids a new hope to search for antiviral agents.
Scientific literature provides evidence about the use of steroids as an adjunct treatment to antiviral therapies. Immunomodulatory activity of some steroids would account for the recovery in patients with herpetic and other viral infections. However, in vitro studies have demonstrated a direct antiviral effect of this kind of molecules. In this review we discuss recent reports about the mechanism of antiviral action of steroids from animal and plant origin. Chemical structures of most active compounds are also provided.
Castilla
V
V
Laboratorio de Virología, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellón 2, Piso, 4. C1428EGA Buenos Aires, Argentina. viviana@qb.fcen.uba.ar
Ramírez
J
J
Coto
C E
CE
D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D010944:Plants / Q000737:chemistry; D013256:Steroids / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014780:Viruses / Q000187:drug effects
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D013256:Steroids