1. Inhibition of herpes simplex virus type 1 by thymol-related monoterpenoids
- Author
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Chia-Li Wei, Chin-Fu Lin, Wen-Lin Lai, He-Shing Chuang, Ying-Chieh Tsai, and Meng-Hwan Lee
- Subjects
Cell Survival ,viruses ,Pharmaceutical Science ,Herpesvirus 1, Human ,Viral Plaque Assay ,medicine.disease_cause ,Antiviral Agents ,Analytical Chemistry ,Microbiology ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Inhibitory Concentration 50 ,Drug Discovery ,Chlorocebus aethiops ,medicine ,Oils, Volatile ,Animals ,Plant Oils ,Carvacrol ,IC50 ,Thymol ,Vero Cells ,Pharmacology ,Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ,Molecular Structure ,Transmission (medicine) ,Organic Chemistry ,Herpes Simplex ,Virology ,Herpes simplex virus ,Complementary and alternative medicine ,chemistry ,Virus type ,Monoterpenes ,Molecular Medicine ,Cymenes - Abstract
This study examined the anti-herpes simplex virus type I activity of the major constituents of several essential oils. Plaque reduction assays were performed to evaluate anti-herpes simplex virus type I activity. Thymol and carvacrol both possessed significant antiviral activity with an IC₅₀ of 7 µM, and herpes simplex virus type I was 90 % inactivated within 1 hr. The mode of antiviral action was shown to affect the virion directly. Evidence was also observed by electron microscopy. Evaluation of the structural requirements for antiviral activity of thymol-related monoterpenoids revealed that aliphatic side chains had a minor effect, while a hydrophilic group on the benzene ring was sufficient for activity. Our results suggest that thymol and carvacrol are potential candidates for topical therapeutic application to reduce herpes simplex virus transmission.
- Published
- 2012