Antiviral Activity of Thymoquinone against Herpes Simplex Virus

Thymoquinone (TQ), the major bioactive component of Nigella sativa oil, has demonstrated broadspectrum activities and has also been shown to exhibit inhibitory effects against a variety of viruses. In this study, we investigated the potential antiviral activity of TQ, the major bioactive component o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inAsia-Pacific journal of molecular biology and biotechnology Vol. 31; p. 46
Main Authors Basurra, Rasha Saleh, Salim, Norita, Idorus, Mohd Yusri, Wang, Seok Mui, Alhoot, Mohammed Abdelfatah
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Kuala Lumpur Malaysian Society for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology 01.06.2023
Subjects
Antiviral activity
Biological activity
Cytotoxicity
DNA biosynthesis
Glycoprotein B
Glycoproteins
Herpes simplex
Herpes viruses
In vivo methods and tests
Nigella sativa
Viruses
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Summary:Thymoquinone (TQ), the major bioactive component of Nigella sativa oil, has demonstrated broadspectrum activities and has also been shown to exhibit inhibitory effects against a variety of viruses. In this study, we investigated the potential antiviral activity of TQ, the major bioactive component of Nigella sativa oil, against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2). The objective was achieved by determining the 50% cytotoxic concentration (CC50), the half-maximal viral inhibition effective concentration (EC50), and the selectivity index (SI) of TQ against the viruses. The viral load and protein expression after the treatment of TQ were analysed using qPCR and western blot. We found that CC50 of the tested compound was moderate with no or weak antiviral activity, with SI < 10. However, a significant reduction in viral load was observed. Western blot analysis indicated that TQ treatment reduced the expression level of viral glycoprotein B. The results suggest that even though TQ has poor antiviral activity, it demonstrated potent inhibitory effects on HSV DNA replication by reducing viral load. These effects imply that TQ might be a promising treatment for HSV post-infection; however, further studies, such as in vivo evaluations, are required for the development of an effective anti-herpetic drug.
ISSN:0128-7451