scholarly journals The hydroalcoholic extract of Uncaria tomentosa (Cat’s claw) inhibits the replication of novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) in vitro

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andres F. Yepes-Perez ◽  
Oscar Herrera-Calderón ◽  
Lizdany Flórez-Álvarez ◽  
María I. Zapata-Cardona ◽  
Lina Yepes ◽  
...  

AbstractThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a serious problem for public health since it was identified in the province of Wuhan (China) and spread around the world producing high mortality rates and economic losses. Nowadays, WHO recognizes traditional, complementary, and alternative medicine for treating COVID-19 symptoms. Therefore, we investigated the antiviral potential of the hydroalcoholic extract of Uncaria tomentosa stem bark from Peru against SARS-CoV-2 in vitro. The antiviral activity of U. tomentosa against SARS-CoV-2 in vitro was assessed in Vero E6 cells using cytopathic effect (CPE) and plaque reduction assay. After 48h of treatment, U. tomentosa showed an inhibition of 92.7 % of SARS-CoV-2 at 25.0 µg/mL (p<0.0001) by plaque reduction assay on Vero E6 cells. In addition, U. tomentosa, induced a reduction of 98.6 % (p=0.02) and 92.7 % (p=0.03) in the CPE caused by SARS-CoV-2 on Vero E6 cells at 25 µg/mL and 12.5 µg/mL, respectively. The EC50 calculated for U. tomentosa extract by plaque reduction assay was 6.6 µg/mL (4.89 – 8.85 µg/mL) for a selectivity index of 4.1. The EC50 calculated for U. tomentosa extract by TCID50 assay was 2.57 µg/mL (1.05 – 3.75 µg/mL) for a selectivity index of 10.54. These results showed that U. tomentosa known as Cat’s claw has antiviral effect against SARS-CoV-2 observed as a reduction in the viral titer and CPE after 48h of treatment on Vero E6 cells. Therefore, we hypothesized that U. tomentosa stem bark, could be promissory to the development of new therapeutic strategies against SARS-CoV-2.

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Andres F. Yepes-Perez ◽  
Oscar Herrera-Calderón ◽  
Cristian A. Oliveros ◽  
Lizdany Flórez-Álvarez ◽  
María I. Zapata-Cardona ◽  
...  

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a serious problem for public health since it was identified in the province of Wuhan (China) and spread around the world producing high mortality rates and economic losses. Nowadays, the WHO recognizes traditional, complementary, and alternative medicine for treating COVID-19 symptoms. Therefore, we investigated the antiviral potential of the hydroalcoholic extract of Uncaria tomentosa stem bark from Peru against SARS-CoV-2 in vitro. The antiviral activity of U. tomentosa against SARS-CoV-2 in vitro was assessed in Vero E6 cells using cytopathic effect (CPE) and plaque reduction assay. After 48 h of treatment, U. tomentosa showed an inhibition of 92.7% of SARS-CoV-2 at 25.0 μg/mL ( p < 0.0001 ) by plaque reduction assay on Vero E6 cells. In addition, U. tomentosa induced a reduction of 98.6% ( p = 0.02 ) and 92.7% ( p = 0.03 ) in the CPE caused by SARS-CoV-2 on Vero E6 cells at 25 μg/mL and 12.5 μg/mL, respectively. The EC50 calculated for the U. tomentosa extract by plaque reduction assay was 6.6 μg/mL (4.89–8.85 μg/mL) for a selectivity index of 4.1. The EC50 calculated for the U. tomentosa extract by TCID50 assay was 2.57 μg/mL (1.05–3.75 μg/mL) for a selectivity index of 10.54. These results showed that U. tomentosa, known as cat's claw, has an antiviral effect against SARS-CoV-2, which was observed as a reduction in the viral titer and CPE after 48 h of treatment on Vero E6 cells. Therefore, we hypothesized that U. tomentosa stem bark could be promising in the development of new therapeutic strategies against SARS-CoV-2.


Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 415
Author(s):  
Ashley N. Brown ◽  
Gary Strobel ◽  
Kaley C. Hanrahan ◽  
Joe Sears

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has become a severe threat to global public health. There are currently no antiviral therapies approved for the treatment or prevention of mild to moderate COVID-19 as remdesivir is only approved for severe COVID-19 cases. Here, we evaluated the antiviral potential of a Propylamylatin formula, which is a mixture of propionic acid and isoamyl hexanoates. The Propylamylatin formula was investigated in gaseous and liquid phases against 1 mL viral suspensions containing 105 PFU of SARS-CoV-2. Viral suspensions were sampled at various times post-exposure and infectious virus was quantified by plaque assay on Vero E6 cells. Propylamylatin formula vapors were effective at inactivating infectious SARS-CoV-2 to undetectable levels at room temperature and body temperature, but the decline in virus was substantially faster at the higher temperature (15 min versus 24 h). The direct injection of liquid Propylamylatin formula into viral suspensions also completely inactivated SARS-CoV-2 and the rapidity of inactivation occurred in an exposure dependent manner. The overall volume that resulted in 90% viral inactivation over the course of the direct injection experiment (EC90) was 4.28 µls. Further investigation revealed that the majority of the antiviral effect was attributed to the propionic acid which yielded an overall EC90 value of 11.50 µls whereas the isoamyl hexanoates provided at most a 10-fold reduction in infectious virus. The combination of propionic acid and isoamyl hexanoates was much more potent than the individual components alone, suggesting synergy between these components. These findings illustrate the therapeutic promise of the Propylamylatin formula as a potential treatment strategy for COVID-19 and future studies are warranted.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neida L. Pellenz ◽  
Fernanda Barbisan ◽  
Veronica F. Azzolin ◽  
Thiago Duarte ◽  
Aline Bolignon ◽  
...  

Barbatimão (Stryphnodendron adstringens, Mart.) is a native Brazilian species used in traditional medicine and some commercial preparations owing to its strong wound-healing activity. However, controversy regarding its use due to safety concerns over the potential genotoxic effect of this plant remains. In order to clarify this issue, the effect of hydroalcoholic extract of barbatimão in vitro on cell viability, DNA damage, and induction of apoptosis in two commercial cell lines of keratinocytes (HaCaT) and fibroblasts (HFF-1) was evaluated. Barbatimão stem bark hydroalcoholic extract (70% ethanol) was obtained and lyophilized for subsequent use in all experiments. The main bioactive molecules quantified by HPLC were gallic acid, caffeic acid, quercetin, catechin, and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Barbatimão (0.024 to 1.99 mg/mL) was found to decrease cellular mortality as compared to the control group. GEMO assay, a noncellular DNA protocol that uses H2O2-exposed calf thymus DNA, revealed not only a genotoxic effect of barbatimão, but also a potential genoprotective action against H2O2-triggered DNA fragmentation. These results indicated that barbatimão at concentrations of 0.49 and 0.99 mg/mL, which are near to the levels found in commercial preparations, exerted an in vitro genoprotective effect on cells by decreasing the levels of DNA oxidation quantified by 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. Gene and protein apoptotic markers, quantified by qRT-PCR (BAX/Bcl-2 genes) and immunoassays (Caspases 3 and 8), respectively, also indicated a decrease in apoptotic events in comparison with control cells. Collectively, the results suggest that barbatimão could exert genoprotective and antiapoptotic effects on human keratinocytes and fibroblasts.


1995 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 298-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Desideri ◽  
C. Conti ◽  
I. Sestili ◽  
P. Tomao ◽  
M. L. Stein ◽  
...  

Substituted oxazolinylflavons and oxazolinylflavanones were synthesized in order to compare their anti-picornavirus activities with those of related natural and synthetic compounds. The antiviral potencies of the new compounds were evaluated against rhino-virus type 1B and poliovirus type 2 by a plaque reduction assay in HeLa cell cultures. Among the substituted flavanones only 6-chloro-4′-oxazolinylflavanone showed activity against both viruses. A comparison of the effects of 3-substituted flavones indicated that the presence of a 3-methoxy group enhances the activity against rhinovirus, while the presence of a 3-hydroxy group enhances the activity against poliovirus.


2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 1934578X1300800 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Silva-Mares ◽  
Ernesto Torres-López ◽  
Ana M Rivas-Estilla ◽  
Paula Cordero-Pérez ◽  
Noemí Waksman-Minsky ◽  
...  

Based on chemotaxonomic and ethno-pharmacological criteria, three Mexican plants ( Jatropha dioica, Salvia texana and S. ballotaeflora) were studied for in vitro activity against HSV-1 and HSV-2. Hydro-methanolic extracts were initially evaluated for their toxicity to Vero cells. Both Salvia species displayed cytotoxicity at the lowest dose (125 μg/mL). The J. dioica extract showed only negligible cytotoxicity (CC50 644 μg/mL). Its anti-HSV activity was evaluated using the plaque reduction assay with HSV-1 and HSV-2 (from clinical isolates) infected Vero cells. The hydro-methanolic extract of J. dioica showed IC50s of 280 and 370 μg/mL against HSV-1 and HSV-2, respectively. The n-hexane liquid-liquid partition of J. dioica extract contained the majority of the active principle(s) with IC50 values of 300 and 270 μg/mL for HSV-1 and HSV-2, respectively. Bioassay-guided isolation led to the known diterpene, riolozatrione.


2002 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 83-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
CA Pujol ◽  
JM Estevez ◽  
MJ Carlucci ◽  
M Ciancia ◽  
AS Cerezo ◽  
...  

A novel series of DL-galactan hybrids extracted from the red seaweed Gymnogongrus torulosus, was evaluated for its in vitro antiviral properties against herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) and dengue virus 2 (DEN-2). These compounds were very active against both viruses with inhibitory concentration 50% (IC50) values in the range 0.6–16 μg/ml for HSV-2 and 0.19–1.7 μg/ml for DEN-2, respectively, as determined in a virus plaque reduction assay in Vero cells. The DL-galactans lacked of cytotoxic effects, on stationary as well as on actively dividing cells, and anticoagulant properties. Some of the compounds showed a variable level of direct inactivating effect on both virions, with virucidal concentration 50% values exceeding the IC50s obtained by plaque reduction assay. Full inhibitory activity was achieved when the galactans were present during virus adsorption period, suggesting that the mode of action of these compounds is an interference in the binding of the surface envelope glycoprotein with the cell receptor.


Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 354
Author(s):  
Sébastien Pasquereau ◽  
Zeina Nehme ◽  
Sandy Haidar Ahmad ◽  
Fadoua Daouad ◽  
Jeanne Van Assche ◽  
...  

A novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), emerged in China at the end of 2019 causing a large global outbreak. As treatments are of the utmost importance, drug repurposing embodies a rich and rapid drug discovery landscape, where candidate drug compounds could be identified and optimized. To this end, we tested seven compounds for their ability to reduce replication of human coronavirus (HCoV)-229E, another member of the coronavirus family. Among these seven drugs tested, four of them, namely rapamycin, disulfiram, loperamide and valproic acid, were highly cytotoxic and did not warrant further testing. In contrast, we observed a reduction of the viral titer by 80% with resveratrol (50% effective concentration (EC50) = 4.6 µM) and lopinavir/ritonavir (EC50 = 8.8 µM) and by 60% with chloroquine (EC50 = 5 µM) with very limited cytotoxicity. Among these three drugs, resveratrol was less cytotoxic (cytotoxic concentration 50 (CC50) = 210 µM) than lopinavir/ritonavir (CC50 = 102 µM) and chloroquine (CC50 = 67 µM). Thus, among the seven drugs tested against HCoV-229E, resveratrol demonstrated the optimal antiviral response with low cytotoxicity with a selectivity index (SI) of 45.65. Similarly, among the three drugs with an anti-HCoV-229E activity, namely lopinavir/ritonavir, chloroquine and resveratrol, only the latter showed a reduction of the viral titer on SARS-CoV-2 with reduced cytotoxicity. This opens the door to further evaluation to fight Covid-19.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2049 (1) ◽  
pp. 012018
Author(s):  
Fitmawati ◽  
Maya Safitri ◽  
S.N. Kholifah ◽  
Emrizal ◽  
Rodesia Mustika Roza

Abstract The new discovery about the potential of Mangifera foetida L. as an antiviral will help conservation efforts in nature while maintaining and increasing its biodiversity value. This study aims to characterize the in vitro potential of three varieties of M. foetida L. against the dengue virus. Dengue virus is infected in Vero cells, viral replication was measured using the Viral ToxGlo Assay method. The selectivity ability of Mangifera foetida L. stem bark extract to inhibit the dengue virus was seen from the Selectivity Index (SI) value. The standard curve between the concentration of the compound (μg/mL) and % cell viability was analyzed by linear regression using Microsoft Excel 2010 software. The results showed that the selectivity index (SI) value of M. foetida L stem bark extract of Limus, Manis and Batu varieties were 7.58, 6.82 and 16.43, respectively. It was concluded that the extract of Macang stem bark of the Limus, Manis and Batu varieties had the potential to be used as an antiviral for dengue.


2002 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 991-995 ◽  
Author(s):  
Earl R. Kern ◽  
Caroll Hartline ◽  
Emma Harden ◽  
Kathy Keith ◽  
Natalie Rodriguez ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The nucleotide phosphonates cidofovir (CDV) and cyclic cidofovir (cCDV) are potent antiviral compounds when administered parenterally but are not well absorbed orally. These compounds have been reported to have activity against orthopoxvirus replication in vitro and in animal models when administered parenterally or by aerosol. To obtain better oral activity, we synthesized a novel series of analogs of CDV and cCDV by esterification with two long-chain alkoxyalkanols, 3-hexadecyloxy-1-propanol (HDP-CDV; HDP-cCDV) or 3-octadecyloxy-1-ethanol (ODE-CDV; ODE-cCDV). Their activities were evaluated and compared with those of CDV and cCDV in human foreskin fibroblast (HFF) cells infected with vaccinia virus (VV) or cowpox virus (CV) using a plaque reduction assay. The 50% effective concentrations (EC50s) against VV in HFF cells for CDV and cCDV were 46.2 and 50.6 μM compared with 0.84 and 3.8 μM for HDP-CDV and HDP-cCDV, respectively. The EC50s for ODE-CDV and ODE-cCDV were 0.20 and 1.1 μM, respectively. The HDP analogs were 57- and 13-fold more active than the parent nucleotides, whereas the ODE analogs were 231- and 46-fold more active than the unmodified CDV and cCDV. Similar results were obtained using CV. Cytotoxicity studies indicated that although the analogs were more toxic than the parent nucleotides, the selective index was increased by 4- to 13-fold. These results indicate that the alkoxyalkyl esters of CDV and cCDV have enhanced activity in vitro and need to be evaluated for their oral absorption and efficacy in animal models.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerry Gilmore ◽  
Yuyong Zhou ◽  
Santseharay Ramirez ◽  
Long V. Pham ◽  
Ulrik Fahnøe ◽  
...  

AbstractEffective and affordable treatments for patients suffering from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), are needed. We report in vitro efficacy of Artemisia annua extracts as well as artemisinin, artesunate, and artemether against SARS-CoV-2. The latter two are approved active pharmaceutical ingredients of anti-malarial drugs.Proof-of-concept for prophylactic efficacy of the extracts was obtained using a plaque-reduction assay in VeroE6 cells. Subsequent concentration-response studies using a high-throughput antiviral assay, based on immunostaining of SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein, revealed that pretreatment and treatment with extracts, artemisinin, and artesunate inhibited SARS-CoV-2 infection of VeroE6 cells. In treatment assays, artesunate (50% effective concentration (EC50): 7 μg/mL) was more potent than the tested plant extracts (128-260 μg/mL) or artemisinin (151 μg/mL) and artemether (>179 μg/mL), while generally EC50 in pretreatment assays were slightly higher. The selectivity index (SI), calculated based on treatment and cell viability assays, was highest for artemisinin (54), and roughly equal for the extracts (5-10), artesunate (6) and artemether (<7). Similar results were obtained in human hepatoma Huh7.5 cells. Peak plasma concentrations of artesunate exceeding EC50 values can be achieved. Clinical studies are required to further evaluate the utility of these compounds as COVID-19 treatment.


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