Antiviral activity of a sulfated polysaccharide from the red seaweed Nothogenia fastigiata

E. DAMONTE; J. NEYTS; C. A. PUJOL; R. SNOECK; G. ANDREI; S. IKEDA; M. WITVROUW; D. REYMEN; H. HAINES; M. C. MATULEWICZ; A. CEREZO; C. E. COTO; E. DE CLERCQ

BIOCHEMICAL PHARMACOLOGY

Pergamon, Elsevier Science Ltd.

Lugar: Oxford, Gran Bretaña; Año: 1994 vol. 47 p. 2187 - 2192

0006-2952

The antiviral activity of polysaccharide fractions obtained from water extracts of the red seaweed Nothogenia fastigiata was investigated. Fraction F6, corresponding to a sulphated xylomannan, was found to inhibit efficiently the replication of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). Furthermore, F6 selectively inhibited the replication of several other enveloped viruses including herpes simplex virus type 2, human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), respiratory syncytial virus, influenza A and B virus, Junin and Tacaribe virus and simian immunodeficiency virus. F6 was only weakly active against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 and 2. The mode of action of F6 against HSV-1 and HCMV could be ascribed to an inhibitory effect on virus adsorption.