Effect of Hippophae rhamnoides leaf extract against Dengue virus infection in human blood-derived macrophages

Dengue virus occurs as four distinct serotypes, called Dengue 1, 2, 3, and 4. Symptomatic dengue virus infection ranges from a self limited febrile illness, dengue fever (DF), to a more severe disease, dengue hemorrhagic fever/dengue shock syndrome (DHF/DSS). The anti-Dengue treatment is severely hampered as no specific therapeutic agents are available. Even present treatment strategies for Dengue are more supportive than curative. In the present study anti-dengue activity of Hippophae rhamnoides (Seabuckthorn, SBT) leaf extract was evaluated in Dengue virus type-2 infected blood-derived human macrophages as macrophages are the primary target of Dengue virus infection. Infected cells were treated with SBT leaf extract and compared with commercially available anti-viral drug, Ribavirin. The extract was able to maintain the cell viability of Dengue-infected cells at par with Ribavirin along with the decrease and increase in TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma respectively. Anti-dengue activity of SBT extract was further determined by the traditional plaque assay. These observations suggest that the SBT leaf extract has a significant anti-dengue activity and has the potential for the treatment of Dengue.