Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 20, 2026

Early Viral Entry Assays for the Identification and Evaluation of Antiviral Compounds
Published on: October 29, 2015
Antiviral effect of octyl gallate against DNA and RNA viruses
Misao Uozaki1, Hisashi Yamasaki, Yukiko Katsuyama
1Division of Virology, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Wakayama Medical University Graduate School of Medicine, 811-1 Kimiidera, Wakayama 641-8509, Japan.
Abstract:
The effects of gallic acid (3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid) and its alkyl esters on virus growth and virion infectivity were examined. All the compounds tested showed an inhibitory effect on the growth of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) in HEp-2 or Vero cells. The antiviral activity of gallic acid alkyl esters was enhanced by increasing the number of carbon in the alkyl moieties of the compounds, reaching maximum at a carbon number of 12 (lauryl gallate), but both cytocidal activity and cytopathic effect of the compounds were also significantly increased simultaneously. Among these compounds, octyl gallate showed a marked antiviral effect with a relatively moderate cytotoxity. In addition, octyl gallate suppressed the multiplication of RNA viruses, such as vesicular stomatitis virus and poliovirus. Quantitative characterization of the HSV-1 infection in the presence of octyl gallate revealed that: (1) this reagent can directly inactivate HSV-1 (virucidal activity), (2) it suppresses both the intracellar multiplication and the release of the virus, (3) it selectively accelerates death of the virus-infected cells and (4) the addition of the reagent even at 6-h post infection completely abolishes the formation of progeny virus in the infected cells.
Related Concept Videos
Antiviral Nucleoside Inhibitors
Inhibitors of Viral Protein Synthesis
Viruses with RNA Genomes
Inhibitors Of Virion Release
Inhibitors of Bacterial DNA Synthesis
Inhibitors of Virion Maturation and Assembly

