Baicalin suppresses SVCV replication and is associated with modulation of the AMPK/mTOR-mediated autophagy pathway

Spring viremia of carp virus (SVCV) poses a major threat to carp aquaculture due to the lack of effective antiviral strategies. This study investigates the antiviral potential of baicalin in epithelioma papulosum cyprini (EPC) cells and zebrafish. Baicalin exhibits antiviral activity during both pretreatment and post-infection treatment and shows direct virucidal activity during virus-compound co-incubation. Moreover, baicalin alleviated oxidative stress, preserved mitochondrial function, and reduced apoptosis in infected cells. Proteomic analyses revealed that baicalin suppressed SVCV replication by modulating the AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway, as evidenced by decreased AMPK phosphorylation, increased mTOR phosphorylation, and subsequent inhibition of autophagy. These findings demonstrate that baicalin significantly suppresses SVCV replication and is associated with modulation of the AMPK/mTOR-mediated autophagy pathway. These findings identify baicalin as a promising antiviral candidate against SVCV and provide a foundation for further evaluation in economically important aquaculture species.