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Assays for the Specific Growth Rate and Cell-binding Ability of Rotavirus
Published on: January 28, 2019
In vitro anti-rotavirus activity of some medicinal plants used in Brazil against diarrhea
J L S Gonçalves1, R C Lopes, D B Oliveira
1Departamento de Virologia, Instituto de Microbiologia Professor Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Centro de Ciências da Saúde (CCS), Bloco I, Caixa Postal 68040, CEP 21941-590, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Insights
Certain Brazilian medicinal plants show potent antiviral activity against rotaviruses, a leading cause of childhood diarrhea. Extracts from Artocarpus integrifolia and Spondias lutea effectively inhibited both human and simian rotaviruses in vitro.
Area of Science:
- Ethnobotany
- Virology
- Phytochemistry
Background:
- Acute diarrhea, particularly in children, is a significant global health concern, with rotaviruses being primary causative agents.
- In Brazil, diarrhea remains a leading cause of infant mortality, underscoring the need for effective treatments.
- Traditional Brazilian medicine utilizes diverse plant species for treating diarrhea, prompting scientific investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To screen 12 medicinal plant species from Brazilian traditional medicine for in vitro antiviral activity against simian (SA-11) and human (HCR3) rotaviruses.
- To identify specific plant extracts with significant rotavirus inhibition at non-cytotoxic concentrations.
Main Methods:
- In vitro screening of 12 medicinal plant extracts against simian and human rotaviruses.
- Determination of antiviral activity by measuring viral inhibition percentages.
- Assessment of cytotoxicity to establish non-cytotoxic concentrations for extract application.
Main Results:
- Extracts from Artocarpus integrifolia bark and Spondias lutea leaves demonstrated high inhibition rates against both human and simian rotaviruses.
- Myristica fragrans seed and Spondias lutea bark extracts showed significant inhibition against human rotavirus.
- Anacardium occidentale and Psidium guajava leaf extracts exhibited activity specifically against simian rotavirus.
Conclusions:
- Artocarpus integrifolia, Myristica fragrans, and Spondias lutea extracts show promise for developing new treatments for rotavirus-induced diarrhea.
- These findings support the ethnobotanical use of these plants and warrant further investigation into their active compounds and mechanisms of action.
Abstract:
Acute diarrhea, especially in children, is a very common disease with worldwide distribution and with a significant public health impact. Rotaviruses have been recognized as the major agents of diarrhea in infants and young children in developed as well as developing countries. In Brazil, diarrhea is one of the principal causes of death, mainly in the infant population. To fight diarrhea, traditional Brazilian medicine uses a great variety of plants. In this work, 12 medicinal plant species were screened for simian (SA-11) and human (HCR3) rotaviruses inhibition in vitro. At non-cytotoxic concentrations, the extracts from Artocarpus integrifolia L. (Moraceae) bark (480 microg/ml) and Spondias lutea L. (Anacardiaceae) leaves (160 microg/ml) had antiviral activity against both viruses. They showed inhibition of 99.2% and 97%, respectively, for human rotavirus, and 96.4% and 96.2% for simian rotavirus. The extracts from Myristica fragrans Houtt (Myristicaceae) seeds (160 microg/ml) and Spongias lutea bark (40 microg/ml) inhibited human rotavirus (90% and 82.2% inhibition, respectively), whereas the extracts from Anacardium occidentale L. (Anacardiaceae) leaves (4 microg/ml) and Psidium guajava L. (Myrtaceae) leaves (8 microg/ml) showed activity only against simian rotavirus (82.2% and 93.8% inhibition, respectively). Our results indicate that the extracts of Artocarpus integrifolia, Myristica fragrans and Spongias lutea can be useful in the treatment of human diarrhea if the etiologic agent is a rotavirus.
