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Published on: July 15, 2019
Novel Antiviral Activity of Ethyl 3-Hydroxyhexanoate Against Coxsackievirus B Infection
Oluwatayo Israel Olasunkanmi1, James Mageto1, Juval Avala Ntsigouaye1
1Department of Microbiology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
Insights
Ethyl 3-hydroxyhexanoate (EHX) effectively inhibits Coxsackievirus B (CVB) replication. This food additive shows promise as a safe antiviral therapy for CVB-related diseases.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Molecular Biology
- Drug Discovery
Background:
- Coxsackievirus group B (CVB) causes significant pediatric diseases like myocarditis and meningitis.
- No approved antiviral treatments currently exist for Coxsackievirus infections.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify novel antiviral agents against CVB.
- To evaluate the efficacy and safety of ethyl 3-hydroxyhexanoate (EHX) as a potential antiviral compound.
Main Methods:
- In vitro and in vivo studies to assess EHX's effect on CVB replication.
- Determination of EHX's 50% effective concentration (EC50) and 50% cytotoxic concentration (CC50).
- Investigation of EHX's mechanism of action on viral RNA replication.
Main Results:
- EHX significantly inhibited CVB replication in both experimental settings.
- EHX demonstrated potent antiviral activity with an EC50 of 1.2 μM and a CC50 of 25.6 μM, resulting in a high selective index (SI) of 20.8.
- The mechanism of action involves interference with viral RNA replication.
Conclusions:
- EHX is a potent inhibitor of CVB replication.
- Its favorable safety profile (approved as a food additive) and high SI suggest EHX as a potential therapeutic agent for CVB infections.
- EHX represents a promising lead for developing new antiviral drugs against picornaviruses.
Abstract:
Coxsackievirus group B (CVB) is a member of the genus Enterovirus in the family Picornaviridae. CVB infection has been implicated as a major etiologic agent of viral myocarditis, dilated cardiomyopathy, meningitis, and pancreatitis among children and young adults. Until date, no antiviral agent has been licensed for the treatment of Coxsackievirus infection. In an effort to identify antiviral agents against diseases caused by the CVB, we found that ethyl 3-hydroxyhexanoate (EHX), a volatile compound present in fruits and food additives, is a potent antiviral compound. In this study, we demonstrated that EHX treatment significantly inhibits CVB replication both in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, EHX possesses antiviral activity at 50% effective concentration (EC50) of 1.2 μM and 50% cytotoxicity (CC50) of 25.6 μM, yielding a selective index (SI) value as high as 20.8. Insights into the mechanism of antiviral activity of EHX showed that it acts at the step of viral RNA replication. Since EHX has received approval as food additives, treatment of CVB-related infections with EHX might be a safe therapeutic option and may be a promising strategy for the development of semi-synthetic antiviral drugs for viral diseases.
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