Antiviral activity of some Tunisian medicinal plants against Herpes simplex virus type 1

Abstract

Fifteen species of Tunisian traditional medicinal plants, belonging to 10 families, were selected for this study. They were Inula viscosa (L.) Ait and Reichardia tingitana (L.) Roth ssp. discolor (Pom.) Batt. (Asteraceae), Mesembryanthemum cristallinum L. and M. nodiflorum L. (Aizoaceae), Arthrocnemum indicum (Willd.) Moq., Atriplex inflata Muell., A. parvifolia Lowe var. ifiniensis (Caball) Maire, and Salicornia fruticosa L. (Chenopodiaceae), Cistus monspeliensis L. (Cistaceae), Juniperus phoenicea L. (Cupressaceae), Erica multiflora L. (Ericaceae), Frankenia pulverulenta L. (Frankeniaceae), Hypericum crispum L. (Hypericaceae), Plantago coronopus L. ssp. eu-coronopus Pilger var. vulgaris G.G. (Plantaginaceae) and Zygophyllum album L. (Zygophyllaceae). Fifty extracts prepared from those plants were screened in order to assay their antiviral activity against Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), using neutral red incorporation. Extracts from eight plants among these 15 showed some degree of antiviral activity, while the methanolic extract of E. multiflora was highly active with EC₅₀ of 132.6 µg mL⁻¹. These results corroborate that medicinal plants from Tunisia can be a rich source of potential antiviral compounds.

Keywords:

• Antiviral
• Herpes simplex virus type 1
• Medicinal plants
• Tunisia

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Mr Mohamed Ben Salah (Laboratoire de Pharmacognosie, Faculté de Pharmacie de Monastir, Tunisia) for his extraction assistance, Miss Christel Marty (Laboratoire de Biotechnologie et Chimie marines, Université de Bretagne Sud, Campus de Tohannic, Centre de recherche Yves Coppens, Vannes, France) for her antiviral tests assistance and Mr Makrem Chouikh for his help in plant material collection.