title: Litsea Species as Potential Antiviral Plant Sources.
abstract: Litsea verticillata Hance (Lauraceae), a Chinese medicine used to treat swelling caused by injury or by snake bites, was the first plant identified by our National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded International Cooperative Biodiversity Group (ICBG) project to exhibit anti-HIV activities. From this plant, we discovered a class of 8 novel litseane compounds, prototypic sesquiterpenes, all of which demonstrated anti-HIV activities. In subsequent studies, 26 additional compounds of different structural types were identified. During our continuing investigation of this plant species, we identified two new litseanes, litseaverticillols L and M, and a new sesquiterpene butenolide, litseasesquibutenolide. Litseaverticillols L and M were found to inhibit HIV-1 replication, with an IC[Formula: see text] value of 49.6[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]M. To further determine the antiviral properties of this plant, several relatively abundant isolates, including a litseane compound, two eudesmane sesquiterpenes and three lignans, were evaluated against an additional 21 viral targets. Lignans 8 and 9 were shown to be active against the Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV), with EC[Formula: see text] values of 22.0[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]M ([Formula: see text]) and 16.2[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]M ([Formula: see text]), respectively. Since many antiviral compounds have been discovered in L. verticillata, we further prepared 38 plant extracts made from the different plant parts of 9 additional Litsea species. These extracts were evaluated for their anti-HIV and cytotoxic activities, and four of the extracts, which ranged across three different species, displayed 97-100% inhibitory effects against HIV replication without showing cytotoxicity to a panel of human cell lines at a concentration of 20 μg/mL.
authors.affiliation: * School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, 7 Baptist University Road, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR, China.|† Institute of Integrated Bioinfomedicine & Translational Science, HKBU Shenzhen Research Institute and Continuing Education, Shenzhen, China.
authors.forename: Yifu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.affiliation: * School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, 7 Baptist University Road, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR, China.|† Institute of Integrated Bioinfomedicine & Translational Science, HKBU Shenzhen Research Institute and Continuing Education, Shenzhen, China.
authors.forename: Dongying
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: ‡ The Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy, University of Hawaii at Hilo, 200 W. Kawili St., HI 96720-4091, USA.
authors.forename: Ghee T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: § Institute of Marine Biochemistry of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Road, Cau Giay, Hanoi, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Nguyen
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Van Hung
authors.affiliation: ¶ Cuc Phuong National Park, Nho Quan, Ninh Binh, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Nguyen Manh
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Cuong
authors.affiliation: ‡ The Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy, University of Hawaii at Hilo, 200 W. Kawili St., HI 96720-4091, USA.
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Pezzuto
authors.affiliation: ∥ Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, 833 South Wood Street, Chicago IL 60612, USA.
authors.forename: Harry H S
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Fong
authors.affiliation: ∥ Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, 833 South Wood Street, Chicago IL 60612, USA.|** Science and Education, Field Museum, 1400 S. Lake Sore Dr., Chicago, IL 60605, USA.
authors.forename: Djaja Doel
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Soejarto
authors.affiliation: * School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, 7 Baptist University Road, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR, China.|† Institute of Integrated Bioinfomedicine & Translational Science, HKBU Shenzhen Research Institute and Continuing Education, Shenzhen, China.
authors.forename: Hongjie
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D002460:Cell Line; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D017705:Lignans / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D032862:Litsea / Q000737:chemistry*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use / Q000633:toxicity; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use / Q000633:toxicity; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D017705:Lignans; D010936:Plant Extracts; D012717:Sesquiterpenes
keywords: Anti-HIV Activity; Antiviral Activity; Lauraceae; Litsea; Litseane; Sesquiterpene Butenolide; Structure Determination