Antiherpetic Effects of Gynura procumbens

• Published in: Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine Vol. 2013; no. 2013; pp. 1 - 10
• Main Authors: Charuwichitratana, Somyot, Chantratita, Wasan, Jarikasem, Siripen, Jiratchariyakul, Weena, Frahm, August Wilhelm, Iskander, Magdy, Siritantikorn, Sontana
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cairo, Egypt Hindawi Puplishing Corporation 01.01.2013; Hindawi Publishing Corporation; Hindawi Limited
• Subjects: Acetic acid; Clinical trials; Cytotoxicity; Dictionaries; Ethanol; Ethyl acetate; Flavonoids; Glucosides; Glycerol; Gynura procumbens; Herbal medicine; Herpes labialis; Herpes simplex; Lesions; Medicine; Methanol; Phytochemicals; Plant extracts; Viral infections; Viruses; Southeast Asia; Grand Island; Thailand; United States > US; Bangkok Thailand
• ISSN: 1741-427X; 1741-4288
• DOI: 10.1155/2013/394865

The ethanol extract of Gynura procumbens showed virucidal and antireplicative actions against herpes simplex virus HSV-1 and HSV-2. It was further chromatographed on MCI gel CHP20P column giving the extract fractions F1 (water), F2 (water-methanol) F3 (methanol), and F4 (ethyl acetate). All but F1 had virucidal action against both viral types. We reported here the active compounds from F2 and F3. The antiherpetic compounds of F2 was a mixture of dicaffeoylquinic acids with virucidal and antireplicative actions against HSV-2 (IC50 96.0 and 61.0 μg/mL, resp.) Virucidal compounds of F3 were a mixture of β-sitosterol and stigmasterol (IC50 250.0 μg/mL against HSV-1), a mixture of β-sitosteryl and stigmasteryl glucosides (IC50 50.0 μg/mL against HSV-2) and 1, 2-bis-dodecanoyl-3-α-D-glucopyranosyl-sn-glycerol (IC50 of 40.0 μg/mL against HSV-2). Herbal products containing 1 and 2% of standardized ethanol extract were prepared. Double-blind randomized controlled clinical trial of the products was performed in patients with recurrent herpes labialis. Results showed that the number of patients, whose lesions healed within 7 days and the average healing time of both groups differed insignificantly. Viral culture on D7 indicated a decrease of infected patients from 48.7% to 7.69% in treated group whereas in placebo group the infected patients decreased from 31.25% to 20.00%. The viral reduction in treated group indicated the benefit of the product. Insignificant result might arise from a low number of participated patients and insufficient concentration of plant extract in herbal product.