title: Autophagy activation and antiviral activity by a licorice triterpene.
abstract: The triterpene glycyrrhizic acid (GRA), the main product from the Glycyrrhiza glabra medicinal plant, is known for its antiinflammatory and antimicrobial activity. In this work, GRA was studied for its ability to induce the autophagic process activator Beclin 1 in epithelial cells and to observe how this property could influence its antiviral activity. After 24 h of treatment, GRA induced a Beclin 1 production that was more than twofold higher than that produced by rapamycin, used as a reference compound. When the compounds were added to HeLa cells together with the viruses, GRA demonstrated a strong antiherpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV1) activity, whereas rapamycin had no activity. However, if the compounds were added to the cells 24 h before the viruses, GRA induced the production of an even higher amount of Beclin 1 and showed an improved antiviral effect; under these conditions, rapamycin was also able to exert a significant anti-HSV1 activity. In conclusion, GRA is a strong inducer of the autophagy activator Beclin 1, which establishes a resistance state to HSV1 replication.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Microbiology and Virology, University of Cagliari, Via Porcell 4, 09124, Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: Samuela
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Laconi
authors.forename: Maria A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Madeddu
authors.forename: Raffaello
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pompei
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D001343:Autophagy / Q000187:drug effects*; D000071186:Beclin-1; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects*; D006035:Glycyrrhiza / Q000737:chemistry; D019695:Glycyrrhizic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry; D020123:Sirolimus / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; C491997:BECN1 protein, human; D000071186:Beclin-1; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D010936:Plant Extracts; D019695:Glycyrrhizic Acid; D020123:Sirolimus
keywords: Beclin 1; antivirals; autophagy; licorice; rapamycin; triterpenes