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A. C. Schmitt, A. P. Ravazzolo, and G.
L. von Poser,
a) Departamento de Patologia
Clínica Veterinária, Laboratório
de Virologia Veterinária, Universidade
Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, 90540-000,
Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
b) Centro de Biotecnologia, Laboratório
de Virologia Molecular, Universidade Federal
do Rio Grande do Sul, 91501-970, Porto
Alegre, RS, Brazil
c) Laboratorio de Farmacognosia, Faculdade
de Farmácia, Universidade Federal
do Rio Grande do Sul, Programa de pós-graduaçáo
em Ciêncìas Farmacêuticas,
Av. Ipiranga, 2752, 90610-000 Porto Alegre,
RS, Brazil
Received 13 February 2001;
revised 11 July 2001;
accepted 17 July 2001.
Available online 29 August 2001.
Abstract
Three plant species, Hypericum connatum,
Hypericum caprifoliatum, Hypericum polyanthemum
(Guttiferae), growing in Southern of Brazil
were chemically investigated and tested
for their antiviral activity against feline
immunodeficiency virus (FIV). The chemical
analysis revealed the presence of polyphenolic
compounds such as tannins and flavonoids.
Hypericin was not detected in these species.
The aqueous extract (AE), the aqueous
extract with low tannin concentration
(LTCAE) and the methanolic extract (ME)
were tested for their cytotoxic properties
in concentrations of 50–150 µg/ml.
AE was toxic to CRFK for the three species
in all concentrations. LTCAE and ME varied
between different concentrations being
not toxic or allowing 80% of cell growth.
LTCAE and ME (10–50 µg/ml)
were analyzed for antiviral activity by
inhibition of CPE and measuring FIV genome
from cell culture supernatant. LTCAE of
all species in this work did not cause
any inhibition of FIV. Although no difference
was seen in CPE, a lower number of viral
particles in the supernatant was observed
when FIV infected cells were treated with
ME of H. connatum. These results suggest
that some plants of the genus Hypericum
from Southern Brazil contain compounds
with potential antiviral activity against
lentiviruses.
Author Keywords: Antiviral; Feline immunodeficiency
virus; Guttiferae, Hypericum spp; Plant
extracts
Fig. 1. Amounts of FIV (ng of RT-hemi-nested-PCR
products) in cell culture supernatant
treated with LTCAE (A) and ME (B) extracts
from H. polyanthemum, H. caprifoliatum
and H. connatum using RT-‘hemi-nested’-PCR
technique mcg+µg.
Table 1. Cytotoxicity of the plant extracts+:
cytotoxicity, -: no cytotoxicity, ±:
about 80% of cell culture confluence.
Table 2. Antiviral assay: CPE analysis
and detection of FIV genome in cell culture
supernatant
CPE, cytophatic effect characterized by
sincycia and cell death; CD, cell death;
+, presence of FIV genome in supernatant;
-, absence of FIV genome in supernatant.
Corresponding author; email: gilsane@farmacia.ufrgs.br
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