| ORIGINAL ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2008 | Volume
: 26
| Issue : 4 | Page : 322-326 |
Antiviral activity of the Indian medicinal plant extract, Swertia chirata against herpes simplex viruses: A study by in-vitro and molecular approach
H Verma, PR Patil, RM Kolhapure, V Gopalkrishna
National Institute of Virology, 20-A, Dr. Ambedkar Road, P.O. Box 11, Pune - 411 001, Maharashtra, India
Correspondence Address:
V Gopalkrishna
National Institute of Virology, 20-A, Dr. Ambedkar Road, P.O. Box 11, Pune - 411 001, Maharashtra
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/0255-0857.43561
Purpose: The antiviral activity of Indian Medicinal plant extract Swertia chirata was tested against Herpes simplex virus (HSV) type-1, using multiple approaches both at cellular and molecular level. Methods: Cytotoxicity, plaque reduction, virus infectivity, antigen expression and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays were conducted to test the antiviral activity of the plant extract. Results: Swertia plant crude extract (1gm/mL) at 1:64 dilution inhibited HSV-1, plaque formation at more than 70% level. HSV antigen expression and time kinetics experiments conducted by indirect immunofluorescence (IFA) test, revealed a characteristic pattern of small foci of single fluorescent cells in Swertia extract treated HSV-1 infected cells at 4 hours post infection dose, suggested drug inhibited viral dissemination. Infected cell cultures treated with Swertia extract at various time intervals, tested by PCR, failed to show amplification at 12, 24-72 hours. HSV-1 infected cells treated with Acyclovir (antiviral drug) did not show any amplification by PCR. Conclusions: In this preliminary study, the Indian medicinal plant extract, Swertia chirata showed antiviral properties against Herpes simplex virus type-1.
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