Antiviral evaluation of plants from Brazilian Atlantic Tropical Forest.

Authors :: Andrighetti-Fröhner CR
Sincero TC
da Silva AC
Savi LA
Gaido CM
Bettega JM
Mancini M
de Almeida MT
Barbosa RA
Farias MR
Barardi CR
Simões CM
Source :: Fitoterapia [Fitoterapia] 2005 Jun; Vol. 76 (3-4), pp. 374-8.
Publication Year :: 2005
Abstract: The antiviral activity of six medicinal plants from Brazilian Atlantic Tropical Forest was investigated against two viruses: herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and poliovirus type 2 (PV-2). Cuphea carthagenensis and Tillandsia usneoides extracts showed the best antiherpes activity. T. usneoides dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and n-butanol extracts, and Lippia alba n-butanol extract showed inhibition of HSV-1, strain 29R/acyclovir resistant. In addition, only L. alba ethyl acetate extract showed antipoliovirus activity. These results corroborate that medicinal plants can be a rich source of potential antiviral compounds.