Antiviral activity of Rwandan medicinal plants against human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1)

• Published in: Phytomedicine (Stuttgart) Vol. 9; no. 1; pp. 62 - 68
• Main Authors: Cos, P., Hermans, N., De Bruyne, T., Apers, S., Sindambiwe, J.B., Witvrouw, M., De Clercq, E., Vanden Berghe, D., Pieters, L., Vlietinck, A.J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Elsevier GmbH 2002; Urban & Fischer Verlag
• Subjects: African medicinal plants; Anti-HIV Agents - pharmacology; Anti-HIV Agents - therapeutic use; antiviral; Cell Line - drug effects; HIV Infections - drug therapy; HIV-1; HIV-1 - drug effects; Humans; Medicine, African Traditional; MTT; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plant Extracts - therapeutic use; Plant Structures; Rwanda; Rwanda; HIV-1; MTT; African medicinal plants; antiviral; Rwanda
• ISSN: 0944-7113; 1618-095X
• DOI: 10.1078/0944-7113-00083

Selected plants used in Rwandan traditional medicine for the treatment of infections and/or rheumatoid diseases were investigated for antiviral activity in vitro against human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1). Of the 38 tested 80% ethanolic extracts, belonging to plants of 21 different families only the extracts from the leaves of Aspilia pluriseta (Asteraceae) and Rumex bequaertii (Polygonaceae) had interesting selectivity indices (SI = ratio of the 50% cytotoxic concentration to the 50% effective antiviral concentration) higher than 1. Further fractionation of the initially antivirally inactive ethanolic extract of Tithonia diversifolia, however, led to an aqueous fraction with a high anti-HIV-1 activity (SI > 461), indicating that the cytotoxicity of some plant components may mask the antiviral properties of the active plant substances in total plant extracts.