title: Potent virucidal effect of pheophorbide a and pyropheophorbide a on enveloped viruses.
abstract: In this study, we evaluated the inhibitory effect of ethanol and aqueous extracts from a stem of Opuntia ficus indica on replication of three kinds of viruses: two enveloped viruses [herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), influenza A virus (IFV-A)], and one non-enveloped virus [poliovirus type 1 (PV-1)]. Only ethanol extract from the cactus stem showed significant antiviral activity in vitro. Two chlorophyll derivatives, pheophorbide a and pyropheophorbide a, were isolated as active substances exhibiting potent virucidal effects on HSV-2 and IFV-A, but no activity against PV-1 was observed. These findings suggest that these active compounds might recognize specific glycoproteins of enveloped viruses, precluding their binding to host cell receptors and inhibiting viral infections.
authors.affiliation: Center of Biotechnology of Borj Cedria, BP 901, 2050, Hammam Lif, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Lamjed
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bouslama
authors.forename: Kyoko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Jung-Bum
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Abdelwahed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghorbel
authors.forename: Toshimitsu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hayashi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002460:Cell Line; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D004285:Dogs; D018258:Herpesvirus 2, Human / Q000187:drug effects; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000187:drug effects; D029747:Opuntia / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018547:Plant Stems / Q000737:chemistry; D017955:Poliovirus / Q000187:drug effects; D014709:Vero Cells
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts