"Identification and quantification of nordihydroguaiaretic acid in bioactive extracts obtained from Larrea divaricata Cav. (Zygophyllaceae)"

BRENDA S. KONIGHEIM, JUAN J. AGUILAR, SERGIO GRASSO, MARTA S. CONTIGIANI, SUSANA C. NÚÑEZ MONTOYA.

NATURAL PRODUCT RESEARCH

TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD

Año: 2011

1478-6419

The South American species Larrea divaricata Cav. (Zygophyllaceae) has been widely used in folk medicine against infectious diseases. In previous studies, we established that several extracts obtained from the aerial parts of this species and the nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA), its main lignan, inhibited Junin Virus (JUNV) in vitro. In this work, the objective was to determine whether NDGA is truly responsible for the antiviral activity produced by the extracts. Therefore, the presence and amount of NDGA in extracts were determined by HPLC. We determined that NDGA in the extracts is required to inhibit JUNV and observed that some components of the bioactive extracts would increase the antiviral effect of NDGA. On the other hand, we estimated the selectivity index for NDGA against JUNV. Thus, NDGA and extracts that contain this lignan exhibited potential therapeutic effects against the etiologic agent of the Argentine Hemorrhagic Fever, an endemo-epidemic illness in this country.