Therapeutic effect of meliacine, an antiviral derived from Melia azedarach L., in mice genital herpetic infection.

Abstract

Since natural products are considered powerful sources of novel drug discovery, a partially purified extract (meliacine) from the leaves of Melia azedarach L., a plant used in traditional medicine in India for the treatment of several diseases, has been studied. Meliacine exhibits a potent antiviral effect against several viruses without displaying cytotoxicity. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the therapeutic effect of intravaginal administration of meliacine in a mouse model of genital herpetic infection. BALB/c female mice were infected with MS or G strains of Herpes Simplex Virus type 2 and then treated with meliacine topically. An overall protective effect was observed. Animal survival increased, the severity of the disease was reduced, life span was extended and virus shedding in vagina fluids was diminished. In addition, meliacine reduced the amount of virus that migrated to the brain and vaginal fluids presented higher levels of IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha than untreated infected mice. These results indicate that meliacine could be an alternative therapeutic compound against HSV-2 genital infection.

• Authors: Erina Petrera, Celia E Coto
• Journal: Phytotherapy research : PTR (Phytother Res) Vol. 23 Issue 12 Pg. 1771-7 (Dec 2009) ISSN: 1099-1573 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 19441066 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright (c) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Chemical References

• Antiviral Agents
• Peptides
• Plant Extracts
• Plant Proteins
• Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
• meliacin
• Interferon-gamma

Topics

• Administration, Intravaginal
• Animals
• Antiviral Agents (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Female
• Herpes Genitalis (drug therapy)
• Herpesvirus 2, Human (drug effects, physiology)
• Interferon-gamma (metabolism)
• Medicine, Traditional
• Melia azedarach (chemistry)
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred BALB C
• Peptides (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Phytotherapy
• Plant Extracts (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Plant Proteins (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (metabolism)
• Vagina (virology)
• Virus Replication (drug effects)