ArticlePDF Available

Antiviral activity of garlic extract on Influenza virus

June 2009
Iranian Journal of Virology 3(1):19-23

DOI:10.21859/isv.3.1.19

Authors:

Parvaneh Mehrbod

Pasteur Institute of Iran

Elham Amini

Masoumeh Tavassoti Kheiri

Pasteur Network

Content uploaded by Parvaneh Mehrbod

Content may be subject to copyright.

Archive of SID

Iranian Journal of Virology 2009;3(1): 19-23

Original Article

Antiviral Activity of Garlic Extract on Influenza Virus

Mehrbod P1, Amini E1, Tavassoti-Kheiri M1*

1. Influenza Unit Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Background and Aims: Influenza virus is the most important cause of annual morbidities and

mortalities worldwide with numerous antigenic drifts and shifts. Inaccessibility to effective drugs and

vaccines has made world health authorities to be interested in traditional medicine in order to prevent

spread of the infectious agent. Garlic is one of the most famous of all plants in human history. It has

been shown that garlic extract has various effects on different diseases. The aim of this study was to

evaluate garlic extract antiviral activity against influenza virus in cell culture.

Methods: To study the potential antiviral activity, MDCK (Madin-Darbey Canine Kidney) cells were

treated with effective minimal cytotoxic concentration of the extract and 100 TCID50 (50% Tissue

Culture Infectious Dose) of the virus during infection at different time periods. The viral titers were

determined by hemagglutination (HA) and TCID50 assays. The antiviral effect of the extract was

studied at 1, 8 and 24 hours after treatment on the culture. To measure the amount of the viral genome

synthesized at different times after treatment, RNA extraction, Reverse Transcription-Polymerase

Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) and free band densitometry software were performed.

Results: Although the precise mechanism has not been defined yet, it was found that garlic extract

with a good selectivity index (SI) has inhibitory effect on the virus penetration and proliferation in cell

culture.

Conclusion: The biochemical and molecular methods used to evaluate the antiviral activity of Garlic

extract demonstrated that this compound could be suggested as a suitable potent antiseptic agent.

Keywords: Influenza virus; Garlic Extract; hemagglutination; Reverse Transcription-Polymerase

Chain Reaction

Introduction

nfluenza virus is capable of causing

respiratory diseases worldwide. This virus

is constantly evolving and new antigenic

variants give rise to epidemics and pandemics.

Influenza virus is unique among respiratory

tract viruses because of its considerable

antigenic variations. These mutations make it

extremely difficult to develop effective

vaccines and drugs against the virus (1).

Therefore it is an essential need to use some of

the traditional medicines and combine them

with modern medicine to inhibit the viral

activity (2).

Garlic may be one of the most famous herbal

remedies to be used by in human history-

dating back to ancient cultures. Garlic has been

an interesting plant for centuries as a medicinal

panacea. Broad range of pathogenic organisms,

including bacteria, fungi, protozoa and viruses

have been shown to be sensitive to fresh

crushed garlic (3). Fresh garlic extract with

allicin as the main active component of it has

been shown to have antiviral activity in vitro

and in vivo. Its beneficial effects may be due in

part to sulfur-containing compounds such as

allicine, diallyl disulfide, diallyl trisulfide (4)

that react with thiol groups of various enzymes

which are critical for microorganism

*Corresponding author: Masoumeh Tavassoti-

Kheiri, Influenza Unit Pasteur Institute of Iran,

Tehran, Iran. Tel: (+98)21-66 95 33 11

Email: mtkheiri@yahoo.com

Iranian Journal of Virology Volume 3, Number 1, Spring 2009 19

www.SID.ir

Archive of SID

Antiviral Activity of Garlic Extract on Influenza Virus

surveillance (5). Influenza virus surface

glycoproteins are hemagglutinin (HA) and

neuraminidase (NA). HA structure consists of

HA1 and HA2 subunits linked by disulfide

bond. In this study various biochemical,

virological, and molecular techniques were

used to evaluate the antiviral activity of the

garlic extract on Influenza virus.

Methods

Virus

Influenza A/New Caledonia/20/99 (H1N1)

standard virus was obtained from National

Institute for Biological Standards and Control

(NIBSC). The virus was grown in MDCK

cells in presence of 2 µg/ml of Trypsin TPCK

(Sigma, St.Louis, MI).

Cell culture

Continuous MDCK cells were grown in

Dulbecco's Modified Eagle’s Medium

(DMEM) (ICN) containing 10% heat-

inactivated Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS) (Gibco,

Gaithersburg, MD), 100 Units/ml Penicillin G

and 100µg/ml Streptomycin (Sigma Co.) at

37°C in a humidified 5% CO2 incubator.

Garlic Extract

Garlic extract was obtained from Shahed

University. Briefly, the fresh garlic bulbs were

stripped off the outer theca and then chopped,

mixed and sterilized by filtration. The

transparent extract was preserved at 4°C for

further use.

Cytotoxicity assay

MDCK cells were seeded at 5×104 cells/well in

96-well microplates, incubated for 24 h at

37oC.

Different concentrations of the extract were

added to the culture and incubated for 48 h at

37oC in presence of 5% CO2.

The 50% cytotoxic concentration (CC50),

effective minimal cytotoxic concentration

(EMCC) and viability of the cells were defined

by the MTT method.

MTT assay

Colorimetric MTT assay was performed

according to Levi Raphael, et al. Briefly,

yellow color of MTT (3- [4, 5-dimethylthiazol-

2-yl]-2, 5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide,

Sigma) is changed to purple by mitochondrial

succinate dehydrogenase of living cells. The

medium of the confluent cells was removed,

then 100µl of 1x MTT was added to each well.

Following incubation at 37°C with 5% CO2 for

2 h, 100 μl of acidic isopropanol was added

and mixed to release the color from the cells.

Optical density at 540 nm was measured using

ELISA reader (Stat Fax-200).

Inhibitory effect on the virus titer

Equal volume of Influenza virus (100 TCID50)

and EMCC of the extract were mixed and

incubated at 37°C for 1, 8 and 24 h. They were

added to the cells with different multiplicity of

infection (MOI). Following one hour

incubation at 37°C unabsorbed viruses were

removed, then the cells were washed with

phosphate buffer saline (PBS) and TPCK-

containing medium was added (100μl/well).

After 48h incubation at 37°C, viability of the

infected and non-infected cells was evaluated

by MTT method.

The virus titer was determined by HA assay

and Karber formula. The viral RNA was

extracted and amplified by RT-PCR and

evaluated by band densitometry software.

Percent protection

Percent protection of the extract was calculated

by Anova test (Tukey) using viability of mock-

infected and infected cells after 48h exposure

(6).

Hemagglutination assay

To evaluate presence of the virus in cell

culture, serial dilutions of the culture media

were added to 96-well U-shape microplates.

Chicken red blood cells (cRBCs) (0.5%) were

added to each well. Following incubation at

least for one hour at room temperature,

precipitation of the RBCs demonstrated

absence of the virus while hemagglutination

indicated presence of the virus (7).

RNA Extraction

Viral genomic RNA was extracted from the

infected cells using Viral RNA Extraction Kit

(Qiagen,Hilden,Germany). Briefly, 70µl cell

culture media was used and RNA was bound to

glass fibers fixed in a column and finally was

isolated and eluted in 30µl of elution buffer.

Since influenza A virus was assessed in this

study, influenza B virus was added to the

samples as internal control (70µl).

20 Iranian Journal of Virology, Volume 3, Number 1, Spring 2009

www.SID.ir

Archive of SID

Mehrbod P. et al

RT-PCR

Complementary DNA of the viral RNA was

synthesized by cDNA synthesis Kit

(Fermentas,Vilnius, Lithuania). Ten microliter

RNA sample along with random hexamer

primers and dNTPs mix were incubated at

56°C for 5 min, added to a mixture of RNase

free buffer using RT-kit. The cDNA products

were stored at -20°C.

PCR

PCR reaction was performed as described by

Shahidi, et al (8). Primers used in this study

amplified NP gene of influenza B and M gene

of influenza A.

PCR products were visualized on 1.5%

agarose gel by ethidium bromide staining after

electrophoresis.

Semi-Quantitative analysis

The end of exponential phase of the virus

amplification cycles by Real-time PCR was

determined at 24 cycles. PCR products were

measured semi-quantitavely by determining

band densitometry ratio using “Image Tool”

software.

Results

1 2 3

HA assay

treatment24

virus24

treatment8

virus8

treatment1

virus1

HA Titer

Fig. 1: HA of Garlic extract treated influenza virus A

at different time periods.

Effect of the Garlic extract on HA titer of influenza

virus at three time points: 1) 24h, 2) 8h, 3) 1h,

treatments.

Table 3: Antiviral activity of Garlic extract against

influenza virus A (H1N1) by HA test. Values are

avera

es of four inde

MEAN ± SD

TIME Virus Extract treated

Virus

1h 0.156±0.018 0.253±0.013*

8h 0.175±0.023 0.275±0.051*

24h 0.168±0.029 0.274±0.063*

MEAN ± SD

TIME Virus Extract treated

Virus

1h 0.156±0.018 0.253±0.013*

8h 0.175±0.023 0.275±0.051*

24h 0.168±0.029 0.274±0.063*

Virus CC50 EMCC

(EC50) SI

A/H1N1100

µg/ml

10 µg/ml 10

Band Density

(Mean ± SD)

time Virus Extract treated

Virus

1h 0.123±0.003 0.077±0.002*

8h 0.184±0.001 0.097±0.001*

24h 0.079±0.001 0.042±0.002*

endent examinations for HA

* Significantly different from values obtained for

extract-treated compared to untreated samples

(p<0.05).

Gel electrophoresis of RT-PCR products of the viral RNA

after exposure to the extract (Mann-Whitney U test) at time

points.

Values are averages of four independent examinations for RT-

PCR.

* Significantly different values obtained for extract-treated

compared to untreated samples (p<0.0001).

Table 1: Cytotoxicity of Garlic extract on

MDCK cells (MTT test)

Table 4: Quantitative analysis of RT-PCR products.

CC50: concentration which causes 50%

cytotoxic effect

EC50: concentration of the drug required to

inhibit 50% of virus-induced CPE

SI: Selectivity Index: CC50 ⁄EC50

Table 2: Percent protection results (MTT test).

Values are averages of four independent

rim

Iranian Journal of Virology, Volume 3, Number 1, Spring 2009 21

* Significantly different values obtained for

extract-treated compared to untreated samples

(p<0.0001).

www.SID.ir

Archive of SID

Antiviral Activity of Garlic Extract on Influenza Virus

Cytotoxicity

The viabilities were evaluated by MTT

method. The results showed that Garlic extract

had no serious effect on viabilities of MDCK

cells at concentration up to 100µg/ml. EMCC

of the extract was determined 10µg/ml through

MTT standard curve by Anova test (Tukey)

(Table1). It did not show any serious

cytopathic effects on the uninfected cells as

control while reduced CPE of the virus

infected cells.

Percent protection

The extract was exposed to the infected cells

and after 48h viability of mock-infected and

infected cells measured by MTT. Percent

protection was obtained by analysis of MTT

results using SPSS software version 11.0

(Table 2).

It was found that extract-treated virus

compared to untreated samples had

significantly different MTT results using

Anova test (Tukey) analysis (p<0.0001).

Hemagglutination assay

Antiviral effect of the extract was determined

against influenza A (H1N1) in different sets of

experiments. Inhibitory effect of the extract

was shown by reducing HA titer (Figure 1 and

Table 3).

Semi-Quantitative analysis

The PCR was ceased at this cycle to be able to

have semiquantitative results. The effect of the

extract on the viral genome was shown by

reduction in the content of the PCR products

on gel electrophoresis (data not shown). Semi-

Quantitative analysis using band densitometry

on PCR products showed statically meaningful

decrease in genome content after 1, 8 and 24 h

direct exposure of the extract to the virus by

Mann-Whitney U test. (Fig. 2 and Table 4).

Discussion

As long as influenza virus remains a serious

cause of disease, there will be a need to

identify and develop some anti-influenza

compounds with distinct mechanisms of action

(9). Current therapeutic antiviral drugs have

limited clinical efficiency and toxic side effects

(10). Antiviral agents of plant origin are easily

accessible, mostly nontoxic, and inexpensive

(2). Garlic, with a long history of traditional

medications, is shown to be effective against

different microorganisms including viruses.

Sulfur containing compounds in garlic extract

such as allicine, diallyl disulfide, diallyl

trisulfide and others (4) react with thiol groups

of various enzymes, e.g. alcohol

dehydrogenase, thioredoxin reductase and even

disulfide bonds which are critical for

microorganism surveillance (5).

We studied garlic extract's inhibitory effect

against influenza virus A/H1N1. The virus was

cultured on MDCK cells. CC50 value of this

extract was obtained nearly100µg/ml by MTT

method. The concentration of 10µg/ml

(EMCC) was found to inhibit virus growth to a

large extent as was measured by reduction in

HA titer and CPE induction.

Inhibition of influenza virus adsorption to

MDCK cells and chicken red blood cells by the

Garlic extract was estimated by MTT and HA

methods. Its effect on the viral genome

replication was determined by RT-PCR

method. Our results showed concordance

among methods used in this study; high

percent protection following exposure of

Garlic extract to the virus cell culture using

MTT method is in concordance with reducing

HA titer of the virus cell culture after

incubation with this extract. The inhibitory

effect of the extract was seen in RT-PCR

products, too. By semi-quantitative analysis of

PCR products with free band densitometry

software, decrease in the content of the

treatment bands was obvious in compared with

untreated virus band.

For all three time periods of treatments, 1, 8

and 24h exposures, viral infectivity was

reduced. Although it was effective and

meaningful even after one hour contact

compared with 8 and 24h exposures. This may

involve interference of viral membrane fusion

by inhibition of penetration phase (11).

In conclusion, the biochemical and molecular

methods used to evaluate the antiviral activity

of Garlic extract demonstrated that this

compound could be suggested as a suitable

potent antiseptic agent.

22 Iranian Journal of Virology, Volume 3, Number 1, Spring 2009

www.SID.ir

Archive of SID

Mehrbod P. et al

The molecular basis of antiviral effect of Garlic

extract on influenza virus would be an

interesting field for future studies.

5. Ankri S, Mirelman D. Antimicrobial

properties of allicin from garlic. Microbes

Infect. 1999 Feb;1(2):125-9.

6. Shigeta S, Mori S, Watanabe J, Soeda

S, Takahashi K, Yamase T. Synergistic anti-

influenza virus A (H1N1) activities of PM-523

(polyoxometalate) and ribavirin in vitro and in

vivo. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1997

Jul;41(7):1423-7.

Acknowledgement

This study was supported by grant no. 392

from Pasteur Institute of Iran.

7. Karber G. 50% endpoint calculation,

Arch. Exp Pharmak. 1931;162:480-3.

References

8. Shahidi M, Kheiri MT, Amini-Bavil-

Olyaee S, Hosseini M, Moattari A,

Tabatabaeian M, et al. Molecular and

phylogenetic analysis of human influenza virus

among Iranian patients in Shiraz, Iran. J Med

Virol. 2007 Jun;79(6):803-10.

1. Anonymous. Prevention and control of

Influenza. MMWR: CDC; 1995. Report No.:

44RR3 Contract No.: Document Number|.

2. Vahabpour-Roudsari R, Shamsi-

Shahrabadi M, Monavari SH, Sajjadi SE.

Evaluation of potential antiviral activity of

hydroalcoholic extract of Lemon Balm L.

against Herpes Simplex Virus type-I. Iranian

Journal of Virology. 2007;1:28-32.

9. Wagaman PC, Leong MA, Simmen

KA. Development of a novel influenza A

antiviral assay. J Virol Methods. 2002

Aug;105(1):105-14.

3. Harris J, Cottrell S, Plummer S, Lloyd

D. Antimicrobial properties of Allium sativum

(garlic). Applied Microbiology and

Biotechnology. 2004;57(3):282-6.

4. Schandalik R, Gatti G, Perucca E.

Pharmacokinetics of silybin in bile following

administration of silipide and silymarin in

cholecystectomy patients.

Arzneimittelforschung. 1992 Jul;42(7):964-8.

10. Gershengorn HB, Darby G, Blower

SM. Predicting the emergence of drug-resistant

HSV-2: new predictions. BMC Infectious

Diseases. 2003;3(1):186-9.

11. Song JM, Lee KH, Seong BL. Antiviral

effect of catechins in green tea on influenza

virus. Antiviral Res. 2005 Nov;68(2):66-74.

Iranian Journal of Virology, Volume 3, Number 1, Spring 2009 23

www.SID.ir

Article no.AJRAVS.127562 Original Research Article Hasan and Ahad

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2024

Aims: Newcastle disease virus (NDV) is a paramyxovirus that causes significant mortality rates in poultry, often known as Newcastle disease or Ranikhet. This virus has the potential to inflict serious economic losses on farmers. As there is no effective therapy for NDV infection, the current research investigated the efficiency of medicinal plant extracts against this virus. Place and Duration of Study: The experiment was conducted at the Methodology: Plant samples (neem bark, neem leaf, garlic, and ginger) were collected from the medicinal garden of CVASU. Samples were ground, and 300 g of ground samples were mixed with distilled water in a 1:5 ratio. Mixtures were stirred for 1 hour by an electric stirrer (1000 rpm) and left overnight. All the mixtures were filtrated through Whatmanno. 1 filter paper separately. Finally, aqueous extracts were prepared from the filtrated sample with the help of a round bottom flask of a rotator vacuum evaporator. Then, the extracts were categorized into different groups to determine the possible effects of extract concentration and heat treatment on the antiviral potential of plant extracts. The plant extract was mixed with viable NDV (8 HA; field strain) and kept at 27.3 °C for 30 minutes. To determine virus inactivation, a 0.2-ml mixture was inoculated into nine-day-old embryonated chicken eggs and incubated. After 48 hours, the allantoic fluid was harvested, and a hemagglutination (HA) assay was performed to determine the virus HA titer. Results: The antiviral effect of plant extract is described in terms of HA titers, specifically the geometric mean titer (GMT). The lower GMT titer value of the plant extract showed higher antiviral activity. However, Neem is more efficient against NDV than other extracts (garlic and ginger). The antiviral activities of these extracts can vary due to the concentration and heat treatment (autoclave) of the extracts. The antiviral potency of all plant extracts declines with decreasing concentration. Heat treatment significantly (p = 0.02) decreases the plant's extract antiviral efficacy. Conclusion: This study suggests the potential use of common local medicinal plants to treat Newcastle disease in poultry, although active compounds of those plants have not yet been studied. Finally, these plants can be a promising source for developing antiviral drugs against Newcastle disease.

Pharmacological Properties of a Magical Shrub of Allium Sativum

Article

Full-text available

Oct 2024

Pakistan is rich in medicinal plants used for medicine for over a thousand years. Garlic is an essential vegetable , most consumed as spice and flavor during cooking food, which makes the food more digestible all over the world. Garlic has a tremendous pharmacological and therapeutic effect due to its biologically active compounds. The chemical composition of the plant are allicin, diallyl trisulfide, diallyl disulphide and S-allylcysteine contribute an important role in its nutraceutical/therapeutic applications. Garlic is a good source of several vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that are useful for human health. It possesses high macro and micro nutritive molecules such as carbohydrates, protein, fat, calcium, sulfur potassium, iodine, phosphorous, fiber and silicon in addition to vitamins. Furthermore, garlic has pharmacological effects and is used to cure enormous conditions including, Antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antiparasitic, anthelmintic antiatherosclerotic, anti-inflammatory, antihyperlipidemic, immunomodulatory, anti-tumor, antidiabetic, diuretic, hepatoprotective, digestive effect and toxicological effects were observed in vivo and in vitro.

Responses of Solo Garlic Crops Grown at Low Elevation of Tropical Areas to Organic Matter and Paclobutrazol

Article

Full-text available

Jun 2024

Solo garlic has been known for its medicinal benefits because of which it is considerably expensive. Nonetheless, no Indonesian farmer produces solo garlic intentionally since no information on how to grow solo garlic in Indonesia is available. Growers, usually harvest 5-10 kg of solo garlic from 1 hectare of garlic crop they grow. A greenhouse experiment was conducted from November 2018 to January 2019 at the Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Bengkulu University, about 10 m above sea level to study the effects of paclobutrazol and organic matter on the growth and yield of solo garlic crop grown at low elevation of Bengkulu. The experiment used completely randomized design arranged in factorial (2 factors; 5 replications). The first factor tested was organic matter levels (0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5%) and the second factor was paclobutrazol concentrations (0, 500, 1000, 1500 ppm). Solo garlic seeds were planted in the polybag filled with 5 kg of media, a mixed of topsoil and organic matter. The crops were sprayed with paclobutrazol at 21, 35, and 49 days after planting. The results showed that organic matter did not significantly affect crop growth and yield. In contrast, paclobutrazol significantly affected crop growth and yield, with the best yield was found at 1500 ppm paclobutrazol. Furthermore, there was no significant interaction between organic matter and paclobutrazol on the growth and yield of solo garlic grown at low elevation at tropical climate in Indonesia. Keywords: clove, medicine, organic matter, paclobutrazol, solo garlic

Role of Medicinal Plants in the Treatment of COVID-19: A Review

Article

Full-text available

May 2024

As of right now, there is no evidence to support the idea that COVID-19 specific treatments exist; what is known is that the immune system is a major factor in the development and course of the illness. Chemicals of high efficacy and low toxicity have been found in plants and some of these chemicals are used as building blocks to create highly potent synthetic drugs. While the primary application of herbal treatments is in prevention, certain nations have published guidelines recommending the use of traditional remedies for varying stages of COVID-19 infection. Although Europe has a long and rich history of employing medicinal plants for therapeutic purposes, there aren't as many scientific trials for this kind of approach as there are in Asia. The ability to prevent and treat COVID-19 would be significantly impacted in this way by a bridge connecting tradition and science.

Group B Strep in Pregnancy and Allium sativum L.

Preprint

Full-text available

Dec 2021

Introduction: Maternal colonization with Streptococcus agalactiae or Group B Streptococcus(GBS) during pregnancy increases the risk of neonatal infection via vertical transmission from mother to fetus before or during labor. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of the SP80 fraction derived from Allium sativum and, its synergistic potential with the antibiotics against GBS strains. Methods: Antimicrobial activity and synergism were assessed using broth microdilution and disk diffusion assays. Fifty-five clinical isolates and one ATCC strain of GBS were tested using the disk diffusion method against the combination of the SP80 fraction with ampicillin and penicillin G, respectively and one ATCC strain was tested using broth microdilution assay. Results: The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of SP80, ampicillin, and penicillin G against Streptococcus agalactiae(ATCC 12386) were found to be 5 µg/µL, 14 µM, and 3.75 µM, respectively. The combination of SP80 and antibiotics, assessed through the broth microdilution assay, demonstrated an additive effect. Statistical analysis revealed that the mean for ampicillin, when combined with the SP80 fraction, using the disk diffusion method, increased compared to ampicillin alone, although not significantly, and the mean for penicillin G, when associated with the SP80 fraction, remained unchanged. The inhibition halos obtained with isolated antibiotics indicated that the strains tested exhibited greater resistance to penicillin G compared to ampicillin. Conclusions: The SP80 fraction displays antimicrobial activity against GBS. When combined with antibiotics, it exhibits an additive effect, suggesting a promising approach for combating GBS infections.

Spices and herbs: Potential antiviral preventives and immunity boosters during COVID-19

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2021
PHYTOTHER RES

Naresh Kumar

A severe acute respiratory syndrome is an unusual type of contagious pneumonia that is caused by SARS coronavirus. At present, the whole world is trying to combat this coronavirus disease and scientific communities are putting rigorous efforts to develop vaccines. However, there are only a few specific medical treatments for SARS-CoV-2. Apart from other public health measures taken to prevent this virus, we can boost our immunity with natural products. In this article, we have highlighted the potential of common spices and herbs as antiviral agents and immunity boosters. A questionnaire-based online survey has been conducted on home remedies during COVID-19 among a wide range of peoples (n-531) of different age groups (13-68 years) from various countries. According to the survey, 71.8% of people are taking kadha for combating infection and boosting immunity. Most people (86.1%) think that there is no side effect of kadha while 13.9% think vice versa. A total of 93.6% of people think that spices are helpful in curing coronavirus or other viral infection as well as boosting immunity. Most people are using tulsi drops, vitamin C, and chyawanprash for boosting their immunity. Therefore, we conclude from the survey and available literature that spices and herbs play a significant role against viral infections. K E Y W O R D S antiviral, bioactive compounds, coronavirus, herbs, immunity boosters, SARS-CoV-2, spices

Harnessing the nutraceutical and therapeutic potential of Allium spp.: current insights and future directions

Article

Full-text available

Nov 2024

Apart from the culinary usage, Alliums are known for their therapeutic potential since antiquity. Alliums contain diverse bioactive compounds such as, sulfur-containing compounds (allicin, diallyl sulfides), flavonoids, and saponins. These compounds have demonstrated a wide range of pharmacological actions, including antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, neuroprotective, cardioprotective activities and treatment of metabolic disorders such as diabetes and hyperlipidemia. Despite encouraging preclinical results, translating these findings into clinical practice remains difficult, necessitating more rigorous human trials and molecular research. One of the major constrain in enhancing the therapeutic efficacy of these bioactive compound is to develop large-scale extraction techniques besides improving their stability, solubility, and bioavailability. The current scenario urges to focus research on optimizing the bioavailability of these compounds, evaluate their synergistic effects with existing therapies, as well as their long-term safety. This perspective article provides a comprehensive overview of the therapeutic potential of Allium spp. and suggests the key avenues for future research aiming at realising their full clinical potential.

Group B Strep During Pregnancy and Allium sativum L.

Article

Nov 2024

Exploration of Plant Phytomolecules’ Potential for Antiviral Activity

Chapter

Oct 2024

Therapeutic Insights into Herbal Medicine through the Use of Phytomolecules offers a comprehensive exploration of the pharmacological potential of plant-derived compounds. The book provides an in-depth look at the therapeutic applications of phytomolecules in various health conditions. It begins with an analysis of bioactive phloroglucinol compounds and progresses to cover plant-based approaches for managing rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, cancer, neurological disorders, and antiviral activity. The volume also covers the molecular mechanisms of flavonoids, the preclinical pharmacology of Indian medicinal herbs, and the neuroprotective role of andrographolide in Parkinson's disease. Designed to inform and inspire, this book is ideal for researchers, clinicians, and students interested in the therapeutic potential of natural products.

Review on Diabetes Mellitus: An Insight into the Current Scenarios, the Challenges of Therapy, and Application of Traditional Drugs

Article

Jun 2024

Diabetes mellitus, an epidemic of the 21st century, is listed as one of the top ten causes of death around the world by the World Health Organization and is a complicated disease to deal with. Medically, a metabolic disorder characterized by elevated blood glucose levels and altered metabolism of biological macromolecules, mainly carbohydrates. Diabetes mellitus has a worldwide prevalence, and populations of all high, middle, as well as low-income countries, are affected by it. More than 400 million persons are currently living with diabetes. Many risk factors, such as lack of exercise, irregular diet, drinking, and smoking habits, as well as genetic factors, also contribute to the increased incidence of diabetes mellitus in the modern era. The conventional therapies for diabetes are based on insulin, insulin analogues, peptides, and oral hypoglycemics. The primary objective is to lower the elevated blood glucose levels and manage the distress to enhance the quality of life of the patient. The management of diabetes is very crucial to avoid complications having serious consequences such as the extra economic burden due to these complications. Conventional drug therapy has its own adverse effects, and its timely availability and cost are still an issue in many low and middle-income countries. Diabetes mellitus has been reported in various ancient kinds of literature along with various natural remedies (plants/herbals) useful in it. These plant-based remedies offer the benefits of lesser or no adverse effects, easy availability due to natural abundance, and low cost. Therefore, extensive research work is carried out in the past few decades to identify and understand the underlying principles of plant-based/herbal medicines to develop new potential lead molecules and a relatively safer, easily available and more economical alternative treatment therapy for diabetes mellitus.

Antimicrobial properties of Allium sativum (garlic)

Article

Full-text available

Nov 2001

Although garlic has been used for its medicinal properties for thousands of years, investigations into its mode of action are relatively recent. Garlic has a wide spectrum of actions; not only is it antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and antiprotozoal, but it also has beneficial effects on the cardiovascular and immune systems. Resurgence in the use of natural herbal alternatives has brought the use of medicinal plants to the forefront of pharmacological investigations, and many new drugs are being discovered. This review aims to address the historical use of garlic and its sulfur chemistry, and to provide a basis for further research into its antimicrobial properties.

Predicting the emergence of drug-resistant HSV-2: New predictions

Article

Full-text available

Apr 2003
BMC INFECT DIS

Mathematical models can be used to predict the emergence and transmission of antiviral resistance. Previously it has been predicted that high usage of antivirals (in immunocompetent populations) to treat Herpes Simplex Virus type 2 (HSV-2) would only lead to fairly low levels of antiviral resistance. The HSV-2 predictions were based upon the assumption that drug-resistant strains of HSV-2 would be less infectious than drug-sensitive strains but that the drug-resistant strains would not be impaired in their ability to reactivate. Recent data suggest that some drug-resistant strains of HSV-2 are likely to be impaired in their ability to reactivate. Objectives: (1) To predict the effect of a high usage of antivirals on the prevalence of drug-resistant HSV-2 under the assumption that drug-resistant strains will be less infectious than drug-sensitive strains of HSV-2 and also have an impaired ability to reactivate. (2) To compare predictions with previous published predictions. We generated theoretical drug-resistant HSV-2 strains that were attenuated (in comparison with drug-sensitive strains) in both infectivity and ability to reactivate. We then used a transmission model to predict the emergence and transmission of drug-resistant HSV-2 in the immunocompetent population assuming a high usage of antivirals. Our predictions are an order of magnitude lower than previous predictions; we predict that even after 25 years of high antiviral usage only 5 out of 10,000 immunocompetent individuals will be shedding drug-resistant virus. Furthermore, after 25 years, 52 cases of HSV-2 would have been prevented for each prevalent case of drug-resistant HSV-2. The predicted levels of drug-resistant HSV-2 for the immunocompetent population are so low that it seems unlikely that cases of drug-resistant HSV-2 will be detected.

Antiviral effect of catechins in green tea on influenza

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2005
ANTIVIR RES

Polyphenolic compound catechins ((-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), (-)-epicatechin gallate (ECG) and (-)-epigallocatechin (EGC)) from green tea were evaluated for their ability to inhibit influenza virus replication in cell culture and for potentially direct virucidal effect. Among the test compounds, the EGCG and ECG were found to be potent inhibitors of influenza virus replication in MDCK cell culture and this effect was observed in all influenza virus subtypes tested, including A/H1N1, A/H3N2 and B virus. The 50% effective inhibition concentration (EC50) of EGCG, ECG, and EGC for influenza A virus were 22-28, 22-40 and 309-318 microM, respectively. EGCG and ECG exhibited hemagglutination inhibition activity, EGCG being more effective. However, the sensitivity in hemagglutination inhibition was widely different among three different subtypes of influenza viruses tested. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis revealed that, at high concentration, EGCG and ECG also suppressed viral RNA synthesis in MDCK cells whereas EGC failed to show similar effect. Similarly, EGCG and ECG inhibited the neuraminidase activity more effectively than the EGC. The results show that the 3-galloyl group of catechin skeleton plays an important role on the observed antiviral activity, whereas the 5'-OH at the trihydroxy benzyl moiety at 2-position plays a minor role. The results, along with the HA type-specific effect, suggest that the antiviral effect of catechins on influenza virus is mediated not only by specific interaction with HA, but altering the physical properties of viral membrane.

Pharmacokinetics of silybin in bile following administration of silipide and silymarin in cholecystectomy patients

Article

Aug 1992

The biliary excretion of silybin, the main active component of silymarin, was evaluated by using a specific HPLC method in 9 cholecystectomy patients with T-tube drainage following single oral doses of silipide (CAS 134499-06-2), a lipophilic silybin-phosphatidylcholine complex (IdB 1016), and of silymarin (120 mg, expressed as silybin equivalents). After intake of silipide, the concentration of silybin in bile reached a peak within 4 h and declined thereafter with a mean time of about 10 h. After administration of silymarin, biliary silybin concentrations were several-fold lower than those observed after intake of silipide. The bile collected after silymarin intake also contained considerable amounts of isosilybin (a silybin isomer) and very low levels of silydianin and silycristin. The amount of silybin recovered in bile in free and conjugated form within 48 h accounted for 11% of the dose after silipide and for 3% of the dose after silymarin. Plasma silybin concentrations, determined in 3 subjects, were several-fold lower than those in bile after intake of silipide and mostly undetectable after intake of silymarin. These data indicate that the bioavailability of silybin is much greater after administration of silipide than after administration of silymarin. This results in increased delivery of the compound to the liver, which represents the target organ for pharmacological action.

Development of a novel influenza A antiviral assay

Article

Sep 2002
J VIROL METHODS

Traditional methods used to monitor influenza infection typically require 2-5 days to perform, prompting a need for more rapid and quantitative methods for monitoring viral infection in 96-well formats. Such assays would find application in high-throughput screening for novel antiviral agents. A new method, based on branched DNA (bDNA) technology, is described for the specific detection of negative strand RNA of influenza A strains using a set of oligonucleotides designed for the A/PR/8/34 nucleoprotein (NP) transcript. By detecting the genomic strand, this signal amplification assay is appropriate for monitoring the kinetics of viral replication. Assay performance was monitored following infection of MDCK cells. The assay exhibited high reproducibility, good sensitivity over a range of multiplicity of infection and has a lower limit of detection of approximately 5 x 10 (5) RNA copies. Designed to quantitate the H1N1 strain A/PR/8/34, the assay also detects other influenza A subtypes, but not the evolutionarily more distant strain B/Yamagata/16/88. Validation as an antiviral assay was demonstrated with two influenza antivirals, zanamivir and rimantadine. The EC(50) values calculated following bDNA detection for zanamivir (265 nM) and rimantadine (9.4 microg/ml) in A/PR/8/34 infection correlate closely to data previously reported from visual CPE determinations, neutral red dye uptake and plaque assays, respectively. The advantages over the more time-consuming traditional assays suggest that the influenza bDNA assay is applicable to rapid screening of compound collections for antiviral activity.

Molecular and phylogenetic analysis of human influenza virus among Iranian patients in Shiraz, Iran

Article

Jun 2007

Influenza is a viral respiratory pathogen responsible for frequent seasonal epidemics. There are currently three major human influenza viruses in global circulation namely A/H1N1, A/H3N2, and B. The objective of this study was to determine the human influenza virus genotypes in Shiraz, the capital of the Fars province of Iran. Three hundred patients suspected with human influenza virus infection were enrolled in this survey (2004-2005). The throat samples were cultured and titrated by hemagglutination (HA) assay. Typing and subtyping were performed by an in-house developed multiplex RT-PCR. Moreover, the phylogenetic analysis was carried out for HA gene. A total of 24 samples were found to be positive for human influenza virus infection, 17 H1N1 and 7 H3N2. These results were in agreement with the HI assay. The phylogenetic analysis results revealed that the Iranian H1N1 isolated were close to the A/New Caledonia/20/99 vaccine strain genetically and the Iranian H3N2 isolates were also related closely to the Fujian/411/021 and California/7/2004 vaccine strains. However, a slight genetic drift was found in these isolates. In conclusion, it was demonstrated that both influenza A subtypes A/H1N1 and A/H3N2 were dominant among Iranian patients in Shiraz during the 2004/5 winter season.

Evaluation of potential antiviral activity of hydroalcoholic extract of Lemon Balm L. against Herpes Simplex Virus type-I Development of a novel influenza A antiviral assay

Jan 2002
28-32

M Shahrabadi
Sh Monavari
Se Sajjadi
Pc Wagaman
Ma Leong
Ka Simmen

Shahrabadi M, Monavari SH, Sajjadi SE. Evaluation of potential antiviral activity of hydroalcoholic extract of Lemon Balm L. against Herpes Simplex Virus type-I. Iranian Journal of Virology. 2007;1:28-32. 9. Wagaman PC, Leong MA, Simmen KA. Development of a novel influenza A antiviral assay. J Virol Methods. 2002

Antimicrobial properties of Allium sativum (garlic) Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology Pharmacokinetics of silybin in bile following administration of silipide and silymarin in cholecystectomy patients

Jan 2004
282-288

J Harris
S Cottrell
S Plummer
D R Lloyd
G Gatti
E Perucca

Harris J, Cottrell S, Plummer S, Lloyd D. Antimicrobial properties of Allium sativum (garlic). Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology. 2004;57(3):282-6. 4. Schandalik R, Gatti G, Perucca E. Pharmacokinetics of silybin in bile following administration of silipide and silymarin in cholecystectomy patients.

Predicting the emergence of drug-resistant HSV-2: new predictions Antiviral effect of catechins in green tea on influenza virus

Aug 1992
964-8186

Arzneimittelforschung Gershengorn
Hb Darby
G Blower
Sm Song
Jm Lee
Kh Seong

Arzneimittelforschung. 1992 Jul;42(7):964-8. 10. Gershengorn HB, Darby G, Blower SM. Predicting the emergence of drug-resistant HSV-2: new predictions. BMC Infectious Diseases. 2003;3(1):186-9. 11. Song JM, Lee KH, Seong BL. Antiviral effect of catechins in green tea on influenza virus. Antiviral Res. 2005 Nov;68(2):66-74.