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Updated: May 28, 2026

Early Viral Entry Assays for the Identification and Evaluation of Antiviral Compounds
Published on: October 29, 2015
Exploring Hydroxytyrosol as a Promising Virucidal Agent: In Silico and In Vitro Insights into Enveloped Viruses
Hanan El Ouadi1,2, Zineb Rhazzar3,4, Barbara Poddesu5
1Mohammed VI Center of Research and Innovation (CM6RI), Rabat 10100, Morocco.
Abstract:
The research investigates synthetic hydroxytyrosol (HT) antiviral properties against enveloped and non-enveloped viruses using in silico and in vitro methods. Molecular docking and ADMET analyses suggested favorable interactions of HT with ceramide and sphingomyelin (binding energies of -6.0 and -5.9 kcal/mol, respectively). Favorable predicted pharmacokinetics and safety profiles were also observed. In vitro tests provided preliminary evidence of the dose- and time-dependent virucidal effect of HT against several enveloped viruses, including HSV-1, West Nile virus, SARS-CoV-2 and various influenza A subtypes, which resulted in substantial viral load decreases at 1000 µg/mL. The viral titer of the measles virus decreased by 4.62 log10 units during the 2 h of exposure. No virucidal activity was observed against the non-enveloped bovine rotavirus. Overall, these findings suggest that hydroxytyrosol may represent a promising candidate for further investigation as a virucidal agent, particularly against enveloped viruses.
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