Inhibition of lentivirus replication by aqueous extracts of Prunella vulgaris
Open Access
- 20 January 2009
- journal article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in Virology Journal
- Vol. 6 (1), 8
- https://doi.org/10.1186/1743-422x-6-8
Abstract
Background: Various members of the mint family have been used historically in Chinese and Native American medicine. Many of these same family members, including Prunella vulgaris, have been reported to have anti-viral activities. To further characterize the anti-lentiviral activities of P. vulgaris, water and ethanol extractions were tested for their ability to inhibit equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) replication. Results: Aqueous extracts contained more anti-viral activity than did ethanol extracts, displaying potent anti-lentiviral activity against virus in cell lines as well as in primary cell cultures with little to no cellular cytotoxicity. Time-of-addition studies demonstrated that the extracts were effective when added during the first four h of the viral life cycle, suggesting that the botanical constituents were targeting the virion itself or early entry events. Further analysis revealed that the extracts did not destroy EIAV virion integrity, but prevented viral particles from binding to the surface of permissive cells. Modest levels of anti-EIAV activity were also detected when the cells were treated with the extracts prior to infection, indicating that anti-EIAV botanical constituents could interact with both viral particles and permissive cells to interfere with infectivity. Size fractionation of the extract demonstrated that eight of the nine fractions generated from aqueous extracts displayed anti-viral activity. Separation of ethanol soluble and insoluble compounds in the eight active fractions revealed that ethanol-soluble constituents were responsible for the anti-viral activity in one fraction whereas ethanol-insoluble constituents were important for the anti-viral activity in two of the other fractions. In three of the five fractions that lost activity upon sub-fractionation, anti-viral activity was restored upon reconstitution of the fractions, indicating that synergistic anti-viral activity is present in several of the fractions. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that multiple Prunella constituents have profound anti-viral activity against EIAV, providing additional evidence of the broad anti-viral abilities of these extracts. The ability of the aqueous extracts to prevent entry of viral particles into permissive cells suggests that these extracts may function as promising microbicides against lentiviruses.Keywords
This publication has 28 references indexed in Scilit:
- An Equine Infectious Anemia Virus Variant Superinfects Cells through Novel Receptor InteractionsJournal of Virology, 2008
- Aqueous extracts from peppermint, sage and lemon balm leaves display potent anti-HIV-1 activity by increasing the virion densityRetrovirology, 2008
- Equine Infectious Anemia Virus Entry Occurs through Clathrin-Mediated EndocytosisJournal of Virology, 2008
- Chemical properties, mode of action, and in vivo anti-herpes activities of a lignin–carbohydrate complex from Prunella vulgarisAntiviral Research, 2007
- Induction of Glucokinase mRNA by Dietary Phenolic Compounds in Rat Liver Cells in VitroJournal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2007
- Antiviral Effect of Aqueous Extracts from Species of the Lamiaceae Family against Herpes simplex Virus Type 1 and Type 2 in vitroPlanta Medica, 2006
- Phenolics-rich extracts from Silybum marianum and Prunella vulgaris reduce a high-sucrose diet induced oxidative stress in hereditary hypertriglyceridemic ratsPharmacological Research, 2004
- Inhibitory Effects of Rosmarinic Acid on Lck SH2 Domain Binding to a Synthetic PhosphopeptidePlanta Medica, 2003
- Rosmarinic acid inhibits TCR‐induced T cell activation and proliferation in an Lck‐dependent mannerEuropean Journal of Immunology, 2003
- Characterization of a Cytolytic Strain of Equine Infectious Anemia VirusJournal of Virology, 2003