Antiviral activity of some Tunisian medicinal plants against Herpes simplex virus type 1

• Published in: Natural product research Vol. 22; no. 1; pp. 53 - 65
• Main Authors: Ben Sassi, A., Harzallah-Skhiri, F., Bourgougnon, N., Aouni, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor & Francis Group 10.01.2008
• Subjects: Aizoaceae; Animals; Antiviral; Antiviral Agents - chemistry; Antiviral Agents - pharmacology; Arthrocnemum; Asteraceae; Atriplex; Cercopithecus aethiops; Chenopodiaceae; Cistaceae; Cistus monspeliensis; Cupressaceae; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Erica multiflora; Ericaceae; Frankenia; Frankeniaceae; Herpes simplex virus 1; Herpes simplex virus type 1; Herpesvirus 1, Human - drug effects; Hypericum; Inula; Juniperus; Medicinal plants; Plant Extracts - chemistry; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plantaginaceae; Plantago coronopus; Plants, Medicinal - chemistry; Reichardia; Salicornia; Tunisia; Vero Cells; Zygophyllaceae; Zygophyllum; Tunisia
• ISSN: 1478-6419; 1478-6427
• DOI: 10.1080/14786410701589790

Fifteen species of Tunisian traditional medicinal plants, belonging to 10 families, were selected for this study. They were Inula viscosa (L.) Ait and Reichardia tingitana (L.) Roth ssp. discolor (Pom.) Batt. (Asteraceae), Mesembryanthemum cristallinum L. and M. nodiflorum L. (Aizoaceae), Arthrocnemum indicum (Willd.) Moq., Atriplex inflata Muell., A. parvifolia Lowe var. ifiniensis (Caball) Maire, and Salicornia fruticosa L. (Chenopodiaceae), Cistus monspeliensis L. (Cistaceae), Juniperus phoenicea L. (Cupressaceae), Erica multiflora L. (Ericaceae), Frankenia pulverulenta L. (Frankeniaceae), Hypericum crispum L. (Hypericaceae), Plantago coronopus L. ssp. eu-coronopus Pilger var. vulgaris G.G. (Plantaginaceae) and Zygophyllum album L. (Zygophyllaceae). Fifty extracts prepared from those plants were screened in order to assay their antiviral activity against Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), using neutral red incorporation. Extracts from eight plants among these 15 showed some degree of antiviral activity, while the methanolic extract of E. multiflora was highly active with EC 50 of 132.6 µg mL −1 . These results corroborate that medicinal plants from Tunisia can be a rich source of potential antiviral compounds.