Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 4, 2026
08:40
Production of Pseudotyped Particles to Study Highly Pathogenic Coronaviruses in a Biosafety Level 2 Setting
Published on: March 1, 2019
60.1K
Glycyrrhizic Acid-Modified Gold Nanoparticles Show Inhibitory Activity Against PRRSV and SARS-CoV-2 Pseudovirus In
Ting Tong1,2, Xiaotong Zhang2, Yating Lei1
1School of Life and Health Sciences, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan 411201, China.
Viruses
|April 27, 2026
Summary
Glycyrrhizic acid-modified gold nanoparticles (GA-Au NPs) show antiviral activity against porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) and SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus. These biocompatible nanomaterials inhibit viral replication and infection stages without direct virucidal effects.
Area of Science:
- Nanomaterials Science
- Virology
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Emerging viral threats necessitate novel antiviral strategies.
- Nanomaterials offer a promising avenue for developing new antiviral agents.
- Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) are being explored for their biomedical applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize glycyrrhizic acid-modified gold nanoparticles (GA-Au NPs).
- To evaluate the antiviral activity of GA-Au NPs against porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) and SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus.
- To investigate the mechanism of antiviral action of GA-Au NPs.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis and characterization of GA-Au NPs.
- In vitro antiviral assays against PRRSV.
- Stage-specific assays to determine inhibitory effects on viral lifecycle.
- Evaluation of GA-Au NPs against SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus in HEK-293T-ACE2 cells.
Main Results:
- GA-Au NPs demonstrated significant inhibitory activity against PRRSV at non-cytotoxic concentrations.
- Inhibition of PRRSV involved multiple stages, including intracellular replication, adsorption, invasion, and release.
- GA-Au NPs reduced SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus infection in a dose-dependent manner.
- No direct virucidal activity of GA-Au NPs against viruses was observed.
Conclusions:
- GA-Au NPs are biocompatible antiviral nanomaterials.
- GA-Au NPs exhibit multi-stage inhibitory activity against PRRSV.
- GA-Au NPs show inhibitory effects in a SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus model.
- GA-Au NPs warrant further investigation for enveloped virus-related applications.
Related Concept Videos
01:29Coronavirus
Coronaviruses, including the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), are enveloped viruses characterized by their single-stranded, positive-sense RNA genome and helical nucleocapsid structure. The hallmark of these viruses is their club-shaped spike (S) glycoproteins that protrude from the viral envelope, facilitating attachment to host cells. Typically, coronaviruses infect the upper respiratory tract, often causing mild or asymptomatic disease. However, certain strains like...
01:25Inhibitors Of Virion Release
Viral replication and dissemination rely on efficient mechanisms for host cell entry, genome replication, assembly, and release. Influenza viruses, such as types A and B, are negative-sense single-stranded RNA viruses with a segmented genome, that depend on two critical surface glycoproteins to carry out these processes: hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). HA initiates infection by binding to sialic acid residues on the surface of host epithelial cells, facilitating receptor-mediated...
01:22Antiviral Nucleoside Inhibitors
Antiviral Nucleoside InhibitorsAntiviral nucleoside inhibitors are structural analogs of natural nucleosides that interfere with viral DNA or RNA synthesis. These compounds selectively target viral polymerases due to their resemblance to host nucleosides, thereby disrupting viral genome replication.Mechanism of Acyclovir ActionAcyclovir is a guanosine analog with a three-carbon acyclic side chain. It selectively targets herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2),...
01:19Inhibitors of Virion Maturation and Assembly
As part of their replication cycle, certain viruses synthesize long precursor proteins called polyproteins within infected host cells. In human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), two major polyproteins are produced: Gag and Gag-Pol. The Gag polyprotein supplies the structural components of the virus, while Gag-Pol includes essential viral enzymes such as reverse transcriptase, integrase, and protease. After synthesis, these polyproteins move to the host cell membrane, where they assemble into an...