Virucidal, antiviral and immunomodulatory activities of B-escin and Aesculus hippocastanum extract

ALCHÉ, L.E.; BUENO, C.A.; MICHELINI, F.M.

JOURNAL OF PHARMACY AND PHARMACOLOGY

PHARMACEUTICAL PRESS-ROYAL PHARMACEUTICAL SOC GREAT BRITIAN

Año: 2018 vol. 70 p. 1561 - 1571

0022-3573

Objectives b-Escin, one of the constituents of Aesculus hippocastanum L. (Hippocastanaceae)seed extract (AH), inhibits NF-jB activation, which plays an important role in HSV-1 replication. The aim was to examine the antiherpetic activity of B-escin and AH, as well as their effect on the activation of NF-kB and AP-1 and cytokine secretion in epithelial cells and macrophages.Methods Cell viability was evaluated using MTT assay, and antiviral and virucidal activity was determined by plaque assay. The effect on NF-kB and AP-1 signalling pathways activation was determined by a luciferase reporter assay, andcytokine production was measured by ELISA.Key findings B-Escin and AH had virucidal and anti-HSV-1 activities, and the antiviral activity was discovered for other enveloped viruses (VSV and Dengue). Moreover, B-escin and AH significantly reduced NF-kB and AP-1 activation and cytokine production in macrophages stimulated with HSV-1 and TLRs ligands. However, an enhanced activation of these pathways and an increase in the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in B-escin and AH-treated HSV-1-infected epithelial cells were found.Conclusions This study demonstrates virucidal and broad-spectrum antiviral activities for B-escin and AH. Besides, B-escin and AH modulate cytokine production depending on the stimuli (viral or non-viral) and the cell type under study.