title: Assessment of Anti HSV-1 Activity of Aloe Vera Gel Extract: an In Vitro Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection is one of the most common and debilitating oral diseases; yet, there is no standard topical treatment to control it. The extract of Aloe vera leaves has been previously reported to have anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and also antiviral effects. There is no data on anti-Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) activity of Aloe vera gel.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to evaluate the anti-HSV-1 activity of Aloe vera gel in Vero cell line.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, gel extraction and cytotoxicity of various increasing concentrations of Aloe vera gel (0.2, 0.5, 1, 2, and 5%) was evaluated in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM) containing 2% fetal bovine serum (FBS). Having been washed with phosphate buffered saline, 50 plaque-forming units (PFU) of HSV-1 was added to each well. After 1 hour of incubation at 37°C, cell monolayers in 24 well plates were exposed to different increasing concentrations of Aloe vera gel. The anti-HSV-1 activity of Aloe vera gel in different concentrations was assessed by plaque reduction assays. Data were analyzed by using One-way ANOVA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The cytotoxicity assay showed that Aloe vera in prearranged concentrations was cell-compatible. The inhibitory effect of various concentrations of Aloe vera was observed one hour after the Vero cell was infected with HSV-1. However, there was no significant difference between two serial concentrations (p> 0.05). One-way ANOVA also revealed no significant difference between the groups. The findings indicated a dose-dependent antiviral effect of Aloe vera.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings showed significant inhibitory effect of 0.2-5% Aloe vera gel on HSV-1 growth in Vero cell line. Therefore, this gel could be a useful topical treatment for oral HSV-1 infections without any significant toxicity.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Oral and Maxillofacial Medicine, School of Dentistry, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Fahimeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rezazadeh
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Oral and Maxillofacial Medicine, School of Dentistry, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moshaverinia
authors.affiliation: Shiraz HIV/AIDS Research Center, Dept. of Bacteriology and Virology, Medical School, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Motamedifar
authors.affiliation: Students' Research Committee, School of Dentistry, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Montazer
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alyaseri
keywords: Aloe vera; Antiviral; Cell Culture; Herbal Medicine; Herpes Simplex Virus-1