Virucidal Activity of Gold Nanoparticles Synthesized by Green Chemistry Using Garlic Extract

Measles virus (MeV) is a paramyxovirus that infects humans, principally children. Despite the existence of an effective and safe vaccine, the number of cases of measles has increased due to lack of vaccination coverage. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that the number of cases worldwide multiplied fourfold between January and March 2019, to 112,000. Today, there is no treatment available for MeV. In recent years, it has been demonstrated that natural extracts (herbal or algal) with antiviral activity can also work as reducing agents that, in combination with nanotechnology, offer an innovative option to counteract viral infections. Here, we synthetized and evaluated the antiviral activity of gold nanoparticles using garlic extract (Allium sativa) as a reducing agent (AuNPs-As). These nanoparticles actively inhibited MeV replication in Vero cells at a 50% effective concentration (EC50) of 8.829 µg/mL, and the selectivity index (SI) obtained was 16.05. AuNPs-As likely inhibit viral infection by blocking viral particles directly, showing a potent virucidal effect. Gold nanoparticles may be useful as a promising strategy for treating and controlling the infection of MeV and other related enveloped viruses.

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MOXIDECTIN AND IVERMECTIN INHIBIT SARS-COV-2 REPLICATION IN VERO E6 CELLS BUT NOT IN HUMAN PRIMARY AIRWAY EPITHELIUM CELLS

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy ◽

10.1128/aac.01543-21 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Nilima Dinesh Kumar ◽

Bram M. ter Ellen ◽

Ellen M. Bouma ◽

Berit Troost ◽

Denise P. I. van de Pol ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Antiviral Activity ◽

Antiviral Effect ◽

Vero Cells ◽

In Vitro Models ◽

World Health ◽

Current Evidence ◽

High Dose ◽

Health Organization

Antiviral therapies are urgently needed to treat and limit the development of severe COVID-19 disease. Ivermectin, a broad-spectrum anti-parasitic agent, has been shown to have anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity in Vero cells at a concentration of 5 μM. These limited in vitro results triggered the investigation of ivermectin as a treatment option to alleviate COVID-19 disease. In April 2021, the World Health Organization stated, however, the following: “the current evidence on the use of ivermectin to treat COVID-19 patients is inconclusive”. It is speculated that the in vivo concentration of ivermectin is too low to exert a strong antiviral effect. Here, we performed a head-to head comparison of the antiviral activity of ivermectin and the structurally related, but metabolically more stable, moxidectin in multiple in vitro models of SARS-CoV-2 infection, including physiologically relevant human respiratory epithelial cells. Both moxidectin and ivermectin exhibited antiviral activity in Vero E6 cells. Subsequent experiments revealed that the compounds predominantly act on a step after virus cell entry. Surprisingly, however, in human airway-derived cell models, moxidectin and ivermectin failed to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection, even at a concentration of 10 μM. These disappointing results call for a word of caution in the interpretation of anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity of drugs solely based on Vero cells. Altogether, these findings suggest that, even by using a high-dose regimen of ivermectin or switching to another drug in the same class are unlikely to be useful for treatment against SARS-CoV-2 in humans.

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Moxidectin and ivermectin inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication in Vero E6 cells but not in human primary airway epithelium cells

10.1101/2021.05.17.444467 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Nilima Dinesh Kumar ◽

Bram Ter Ellen ◽

Ellen M Bouma ◽

Berit Troost ◽

Denise P. I van de Pol ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Antiviral Activity ◽

Antiviral Effect ◽

Vero Cells ◽

In Vitro Models ◽

World Health ◽

Current Evidence ◽

High Dose ◽

Health Organization

Antiviral therapies are urgently needed to treat and limit the development of severe COVID-19 disease. Ivermectin, a broad-spectrum anti-parasitic agent, has been shown to have anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity in Vero cells at a concentration of 5 micromolar. These in vitro results triggered the investigation of ivermectin as a treatment option to alleviate COVID-19 disease. In April 2021, the World Health Organization stated, however, the following: "the current evidence on the use of ivermectin to treat COVID-19 patients is inconclusive". It is speculated that the in vivo concentration of ivermectin is too low to exert a strong antiviral effect. Here, we performed a head-to head comparison of the antiviral activity of ivermectin and a structurally related, but metabolically more stable, moxidectin in multiple in vitro models of SARS-CoV-2 infection, including physiologically relevant human respiratory epithelial cells. Both moxidectin and ivermectin exhibited antiviral activity in Vero E6 cells. Subsequent experiments revealed that the compounds predominantly act on a step after virus cell entry. Surprisingly, however, in human airway-derived cell models, moxidectin and ivermectin failed to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection, even at a concentration of 10 micromolar. These disappointing results calls for a word of caution in the interpretation of anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity of drugs solely based on Vero cells. Altogether, these findings suggest that, even by using a high-dose regimen of ivermectin or switching to another drug in the same class are unlikely to be useful for treatment against SARS-CoV-2 in humans.

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First report of antiviral activity of carbon nanofibers: Enhancement of the viral inhibition capacity of calcium alginate films

10.1101/2020.08.18.255646 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Isaías Sanmartín-Santos ◽

Sofía Gandía-Llop ◽

Ángel Serrano-Aroca

Keyword(s):

Antiviral Activity ◽

Carbon Nanofibers ◽

Calcium Alginate ◽

Carbon Nanomaterials ◽

Viral Infections ◽

World Health ◽

Viral Inhibition ◽

Enveloped Virus ◽

Double Stranded Dna ◽

Health Organization

AbstractThe World Health Organization has called for new effective and affordable alternative antiviral materials for the prevention and treatment of viral infections. In this regard, calcium alginate has previously shown to possesses antiviral activity against the enveloped double-stranded DNA herpes simplex virus type 1. However, non-enveloped viruses are more resistant to inactivation than enveloped ones. Thus, the viral inhibition capacity of calcium alginate and the effect of adding a minuscule amount of carbon nanomaterials (0.1% w/w) have been explored here against a non-enveloped double-stranded DNA virus model for the first time. The results of this study showed that neat calcium alginate films are able to inactivate this type of non-enveloped virus and that including that extremely low percentage of carbon nanofibers significantly enhanced its viral inhibition from ~55.6% to 96.33%. This is the first published study to demonstrate CNFs’ antiviral activity. However, adding this small percentage of graphene oxide did not improve the antiviral activity of calcium alginate, although both composite biomaterials possess antiviral and other outstanding properties very promising for biomedical applications.

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Gold Nanoparticles: Can They Be the Next Magic Bullet for Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria?

Nanomaterials ◽

10.3390/nano11020312 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 312

Author(s):

Mohammad Okkeh ◽

Nora Bloise ◽

Elisa Restivo ◽

Lorenzo De Vita ◽

Piersandro Pallavicini ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gold Nanoparticles ◽

Bacterial Resistance ◽

Multidrug Resistant ◽

World Health ◽

Resistant Bacteria ◽

Magic Bullet ◽

Global Challenge ◽

Gold Silver ◽

Inorganic Nanomaterials ◽

Health Organization

In 2017 the World Health Organization (WHO) announced a list of the 12 multidrug-resistant (MDR) families of bacteria that pose the greatest threat to human health, and recommended that new measures should be taken to promote the development of new therapies against these superbugs. Few antibiotics have been developed in the last two decades. Part of this slow progression can be attributed to the surge in the resistance acquired by bacteria, which is holding back pharma companies from taking the risk to invest in new antibiotic entities. With limited antibiotic options and an escalating bacterial resistance there is an urgent need to explore alternative ways of meeting this global challenge. The field of medical nanotechnology has emerged as an innovative and a powerful tool for treating some of the most complicated health conditions. Different inorganic nanomaterials including gold, silver, and others have showed potential antibacterial efficacies. Interestingly, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have gained specific attention, due to their biocompatibility, ease of surface functionalization, and their optical properties. In this review, we will focus on the latest research, done in the field of antibacterial gold nanoparticles; by discussing the mechanisms of action, antibacterial efficacies, and future implementations of these innovative antibacterial systems.

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A silkworm–baculovirus model for assessing the therapeutic effects of antiviral compounds: characterization and application to the isolation of antivirals from traditional medicines

Journal of General Virology ◽

10.1099/vir.0.83208-0 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 89 (1) ◽

pp. 188-194 ◽

Cited By ~ 29

Author(s):

Yutaka Orihara ◽

Hiroshi Hamamoto ◽

Hiroshi Kasuga ◽

Toru Shimada ◽

Yasushi Kawaguchi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Antiviral Activity ◽

Viral Infections ◽

Antiviral Agents ◽

Vero Cells ◽

Infection Model ◽

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Analysis ◽

Therapeutic Effects ◽

Traditional Medicines ◽

Baculovirus Infection ◽

Simplex Virus

Ganciclovir, foscarnet, vidarabine and ribavirin, which are used to treat viral infections in humans, inhibited the proliferation of a baculovirus (Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus) in BmN4 cells, a cultured silkworm cell line. These antiviral agents inhibited the proliferation of baculovirus in silkworm body fluid and had therapeutic effects. Using the silkworm infection model, the antiviral activity of Kampo medicines was screened and it was found that cinnamon bark, a component of the traditional Japanese medicine Mao-to, had a therapeutic effect. Based on the therapeutic activity, the antiviral substance was purified. Nuclear magnetic resonance analysis of the purified fraction revealed that the antiviral activity was due to cinnzeylanine, which has previously been isolated from Cinnamomum zeylanicum. Cinnzeylanine inhibits the proliferation of herpes simplex virus type 1 in Vero cells. These results suggest that the silkworm–baculovirus infection model is useful for screening antiviral agents that are effective for treating humans infected with DNA viruses.

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Antiviral Activity of a Turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) NK-Lysin Peptide by Inhibition of Low-pH Virus-Induced Membrane Fusion

Marine Drugs ◽

10.3390/md17020087 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 17 (2) ◽

pp. 87 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Alberto Falco ◽

Regla Medina-Gali ◽

José Poveda ◽

Melissa Bello-Perez ◽

Beatriz Novoa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Antiviral Activity ◽

Viral Infections ◽

Scophthalmus Maximus ◽

Low Ph ◽

Host Cells ◽

Viral Origin ◽

Membrane Rupture ◽

Viral Particles ◽

Strong Antiviral Activity ◽

Turbot Scophthalmus Maximus

Global health is under attack by increasingly-frequent pandemics of viral origin. Antimicrobial peptides are a valuable tool to combat pathogenic microorganisms. Previous studies from our group have shown that the membrane-lytic region of turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) NK-lysine short peptide (Nkl71–100) exerts an anti-protozoal activity, probably due to membrane rupture. In addition, NK-lysine protein is highly expressed in zebrafish in response to viral infections. In this work several biophysical methods, such as vesicle aggregation, leakage and fluorescence anisotropy, are employed to investigate the interaction of Nkl71–100 with different glycerophospholipid vesicles. At acidic pH, Nkl71–100 preferably interacts with phosphatidylserine (PS), disrupts PS membranes, and allows the content leakage from vesicles. Furthermore, Nkl71–100 exerts strong antiviral activity against spring viremia of carp virus (SVCV) by inhibiting not only the binding of viral particles to host cells, but also the fusion of virus and cell membranes, which requires a low pH context. Such antiviral activity seems to be related to the important role that PS plays in these steps of the replication cycle of SVCV, a feature that is shared by other families of virus-comprising members with health and veterinary relevance. Consequently, Nkl71–100 is shown as a promising broad-spectrum antiviral candidate.

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Understanding the relationship between viral infections and trace elements from a metallomics perspective: implications for COVID-19

Metallomics ◽

10.1039/d0mt00220h ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Jemmyson Romário de Jesus ◽

Tatianny de Araújo Andrade

Keyword(s):

Trace Elements ◽

Viral Infection ◽

World Health Organization ◽

Viral Infections ◽

World Health ◽

The World ◽

Novel Virus ◽

Health Organization ◽

The Relationship

Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a pandemic situation due to a new viral infection (COVID-19) caused by a novel virus (Sars-CoV-2).

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COVID 19 pandemic: Its impact on forensics and new normal practice

GSC Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences ◽

10.30574/gscbps.2021.16.1.0195 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

pp. 083-088

Author(s):

Umema Ahmed ◽

S.S. Daga ◽

R.K. Kumawat

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

World Health ◽

Street Crime ◽

Wuhan City ◽

New Normal ◽

Viral Particles ◽

Police Personnel ◽

Wildlife Trafficking ◽

Health Organization ◽

The Impact

In December, 2019, novel corona virus 2019-nCoV or SARS- CoV-2 or COVID 19 was reported in Wuhan city of China. Expeditious transmissibility, extremely virulent nature and acute pathogenicity, World Health Organization declared as a public health emergency of international concern on 30th January 2020. During the pandemic era crime and illicit economies such as organized criminal activities, domestic violence, terrorism, street crime, online crime, illegal markets and smuggling, human and wildlife trafficking, slavery, robberies and burglaries increased in the exponential manner. It was established that the viral particles remain on various surfaces 3 to 5 days, this long lasting persistence of viral particles are serious concern to public health. Since, forensic investigators as well as police personnel directly deal with the crime exhibits, which impose serious concern to their lives.In this report, we explore the impact of COVID 19 pandemic on forensic and new normal practice.

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Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2): Epidemiology and Vaccinology in Nigeria

International Journal of Travel Medicine and Global Health ◽

10.34172/ijtmgh.2021.10 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 60-69

Author(s):

Ridwan Olamilekan Adesola ◽

Oluwatobi Emmanuel Oladele ◽

Ahmed Oluwasegun Tajudeen ◽

Ogundepo Oluwatobi Moses ◽

Murali Dinesh

Keyword(s):

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽

Viral Infections ◽

World Health ◽

Great Level ◽

Global Public Health ◽

Wuhan City ◽

Health Authorities ◽

Global Pandemic ◽

The World ◽

Health Organization

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), confirmed as the global pandemic on March 11, 2020, by the World Health Organization (WHO), was caused by the outbreak of an emergent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which was first reported in Wuhan city, China, in December 2019. Based on the previous pandemic, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) from 2002 to 2003, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in 2012. The scientific developments have fast-tracked our insights SARS-CoV-2 epidemiology, likewise vaccinology relevant for developing drugs for viral infections treatment. As there are not many detailed interventions and vaccines available for disease control, the pandemic COVID-19 poses countless threats to global public health, causing a great level of insecurity and unrest worldwide. To provide an inclusive overview to global health authorities and prospective readers worldwide, we detailed in this review the epidemiology and vaccinology of SARS-CoV-2 in Nigeria.

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Standardization of DNA Residual Quantification Method of Vero Cell Rabies Vaccine for Human Use

The Open Medicinal Chemistry Journal ◽

10.2174/1874104501711010066 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 66-80 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Janeth del Carmen Arias Palacios ◽

Carlos Alberto Barrero Barreto ◽

José Salvador Montaña Lara ◽

Ángela María Londoño Navas

Keyword(s):

Real Time ◽

Repetitive Sequences ◽

Housekeeping Gene ◽

Vero Cells ◽

Rabies Vaccine ◽

World Health ◽

Continuous Cell Lines ◽

Highly Repetitive Dna ◽

Standard Set ◽

Health Organization

Objectives: Normalize the quantification of residual DNA from Vero cells in the rabies vaccine for use in human VAHV I, by quantitative PCR in real time and the design of primers that amplified, highly repetitive sequences of Cercopithecus aethiops and a constitutive gene according to sequences reported in the GenBank and quantifying the residual DNA in the vaccine VAHV I in three consecutive batches according to the standard set by the World Health Organization. Methods: A real time quantitative method based on SYBR Green chemistry has been applied for the quantification of residual DNA (resDNA) using highly repetitive DNA (Alu) and a housekeeping gene (B-actin) as target sequences. Results: The sensitivity achieved with this white sequence is within the reported limits and who are between 5 and 50 pg. For real time PCR optimization with Alu-p53, different concentrations of MgCl2 (0.5, 0.75, 1.0, 1.25 and 1.5 mm) in combination with three different concentrations of primers (75, 100 and 150nM) were used. pDNA in concentration of 1x107 copies / ul was used as template. Optimal concentrations were 1.25 mM MgCl2 and 100nM primers. To level of detection of 1.53 ng/ul was found for p53-Alu and Alu-Glob and 0.39 ng/ul for B-actin with gDNA curves. Conclusion: Quantification of resDNA of vaccine VAHV I with close-ups of B-actin was normalized. Reached a sensitivity of 30 pg of resDNA/dose VAHV I, with close-ups of B-actin. Found, in three consecutive batches, an amount less than 10 ng/dose, these results suggest that the production process ensures vaccine resDNA removal, meeting international requirements for biological products for use in humans that use continuous cell lines for production.

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