In vitro antiviral activity of peptide‑rich extracts from seven Nigerian plants against three non‑polio enterovirus species C serotypes
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Date
2021
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Virology Journal
Abstract
Background: As frequent viral outbreaks continue to pose threat to public health, the unavailability of antiviral drugs
and challenges associated with vaccine development underscore the need for antiviral drugs discovery in emergent
moments (endemic or pandemic). Plants in response to microbial and pest attacks are able to produce defence
molecules such as antimicrobial peptides as components of their innate immunity, which can be explored for viral
therapeutics.
Methods: In this study, partially purified peptide-rich fraction (P-PPf ) were obtained from aqueous extracts of seven
plants by reverse-phase solid-phase extraction and cysteine-rich peptides detected by a modified TLC method. The
peptide-enriched fractions and the aqueous (crude polar) were screened for antiviral effect against three non-polio
enterovirus species C members using cytopathic effect reduction assay.
Results: In this study, peptide fraction obtained from Euphorbia hirta leaf showed most potent antiviral effect against
Coxsackievirus A13, Coxsackievirus A20, and Enterovirus C99 (EV-C99) with IC50
< 2.0 μg/mL and selective index ≥ 81.
EV-C99 was susceptible to all partially purified peptide fractions except Allamanda blanchetii leaf.
Conclusion: These findings establish the antiviral potentials of plants antimicrobial peptides and provides evidence
for the anti-infective use of E. hirta in ethnomedicine. This study provides basis for further scientific investigation
geared towards the isolation, characterization and mechanistic pharmacological study of the detected cysteine-rich
peptides.
Description
Keywords
Antiviral, Circular peptides, Enteroviruses, Euphorbia hirta, CPE reduction assay