Evaluation of anti-HIV potential in selected medicinal plants

Abstract or Introduction

This scientific study deals with the Evaluation of traditional plants for their potential anti-HIV activity. 2 plants reported here that have such kind of activity. Previously detected another report is again confirmed here. Cell culture based assays were performed for evaluation of crudes. and crudes were fractionated. all the studies are performed under their cytotoxicity level. in-vitro assays were though projected but were not completed in this project.

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a global pandemic. Since its discovery >36.9 million people have lost their lives. Although highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has been successful in significantly lowering viral titers as HIV-1 integrates into host genome it is not targeted by HAART and hence not eliminated. Therefore, the virus rebounds on discontinuation of drugs. Hence, patients are likely to take therapy for a lifetime and long-term drug treatment leads to severe drug-induced toxicity and also the emergence of multidrug-resistant viruses. It is pertinent to mention that the rate of emergence of resistant strains of HIV-1 is much greater than the rate of new drug development. Hence there is an urgent need to develop new strategies to tackle HIV-1 and emerging resistant strains.

Compounds from plant origin have enormous potential in terms of their incomparable structural diversity and plant kingdom needs to be explored for anti-HIV-1 molecules. In the present study medicinal plants namely Catharanthusroseus, Ocimumgratissimum, Mangifera, Tinospora, Solanum, Swertiabimaculata were evaluated for their anti-HIV-1 activity in cell culture. Crude extracts of the dried plants were prepared using solvents viz hexane, chloroform, and methanol or Ethyl Acetate. Extracts were dissolved in DMSO and filter sterilized and screened for anti-HIV-1 activity using pseudo typed HIV-1 virus with GFP (Green Fluorescent Protein) reporter system. Prior cyto-toxic concentrations 50 (CC50) of each extract was determined and all the extracts used in the present study were below their respective CC50 concentrations. The significant anti-HIV-1 activity was observed in methanolic extracts of Ocimumgratissimum, ethyl Acetate extracts of Tinospora Further fractionation of Ocimumgratissimum showed anti-HIV-1 activity in- E3M7 1 fraction.