In vitro antiviral activity of neem (Azardirachta indica L.) bark extract against herpes simplex virus type‐1 infection |
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| Authors: | Vaibhav Tiwari Nissar A Darmani Beatrice Y J T Yue Deepak Shukla |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 91766, USA;2. College of Optometry, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 91766, USA;3. Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA;4. Department of Microbiology & Immunology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA |
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| Abstract: | Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV‐1) causes significant health problems from periodical skin and corneal lesions to encephalitis. We report here that an aqueous extract preparation from the barks of neem plant Azardirachta indica acts as a potent entry inhibitor against HSV‐1 infection into natural target cells. The neem bark extract (NBE) significantly blocked HSV‐1 entry into cells at concentrations ranging from 50 to 100 μg/ml. The blocking activity of NBE was observed when the extract was pre‐incubated with the virus but not with the target cells, suggesting a direct antiHSV‐1 property of the neem bark. Further, virions treated with NBE failed to bind the cells which implicate a role of NBE as an attachment step blocker. Cells treated with NBE also inhibited HSV‐1 glycoprotein‐mediated cell–cell fusion and polykaryocytes formation suggesting an additional role of NBE at the viral fusion step. These findings open a potential new avenue for the development of NBE as a novel antiherpetic microbicide. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
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| Keywords: | Azardirachta indica neem plant antiviral herpes simplex type 1 virus‐cell interaction |
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