PRELIMINARY STUDIES OF ANTIHERPETIC ACTIVITY EXERTED BY EXTRACTS OF Verbascum thapsus

ESCOBAR FRANCO MATÍAS; KONIGHEIM BRENDA; AGUILAR JUAN JAVIER; SABINI MARÍA CAROLA; GIORDANO OSCAR; CONTIGIANI MARTA SILVIA; SABINI LILIANA INÉS

HUERTA GRANDE, CÓRDOBA. ARGENTINA.

Congreso; BIOCELL; 2008

SOCIEDAD DE BIOLOGÍA DE CÓRDOBA

PRELIMINARY STUDIES OF ANTIHERPETIC ACTIVITY EXERTED BY EXTRACTS OF Verbascum thapsus Escobar F1, Konigheim BV2, Aguilar J2, Sabini C2, Giordano O3, Contigiani M2, Sabini L1. 1Dpto. Microbiología. Fac. Cs. Ex. Fco-Qcas y Nat. UNRC, Río IV, Cba.; 2UNC; 3UNSL. E-mail: fescobar@exa.unrc.edu.ar Introduction: The opportunistic infection by the Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is the main one in immunosuppressed people and receives relevance in areas where the HIV/AIDS increases, as it occurs in Argentina. The resistance of the virus to conventional drugs leads to the search of new therapies, being the vegetal substances a good alternative. Objective: To investigate antiherpetic activity of 5 vegetal extracts (VE) obtained from V. thapsus (Ambay). Materials and Methods: The extracts: n-hexanic (HE), chloroformic (CE), methanolic (ME), cold and warms aqueous extract (CAE and WAE), were obtained from leaves of the plant, by continuous and sequential agitation The antiviral assay was made on Vero cells grown in plates of 24 wells. Each VE was employed at the subtoxic concentration: 1000 ìg/ml with 100 pfu/well of the virus at absorption time. After incubation at 37°C by 72 h the percentage of viral inhibition in each treatment was determined versus control (cells with virus and without VE). Results and Discussion: Only the WAE induced more of 50% of viral reduction. Data suggest that this herbal extract has powerful chemical agents against HSV type 1, and its molecular characterization must be studied.