The present study evaluates the antiviral activity of banana lectin (BanLec) against herpes simplex virus type 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2). Lectin was isolated from the ripen pulp of bananas (Musa paradisiaca). The study showed that lectin exhibited hemagglutination activity towards human erythrocytes A, B, AB and O group. The molecular weight of BanLec using SDS gel-electrophoresis was found to be 14,000-30,000 Da. Cytotoxicity of BanLec on the Vero cell lines showed an inhibitory concentration of 172.7 µg/mL. BanLec was virucidal and showed no cytotoxicity at the concentration tested. The lectin showed a dose-dependent antiviral activities, inhibiting HSV-1 by 16.0 µg/mL with selectivity index 10.8 and HSV-2 inhibition by 67.7 µg/mL with selectivity index 2.6. These results corroborate that BanLec could be a rich source of potential antiviral compound for HSV-1 when compared to HSV-2.
To investigate the inhibitory effect of methanol extract of Alpinia calcarata stem on the growth of struvite crystals. Struvite crystals were grown by the single diffusion gel growth technique and the inhibitory effect of methanol extracts of Alpinia calcarata stem on the growth of struvite crystals has been studied. The grown crystals were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) methods for further confirmations. With an increase in the concentration of methanol extract of Alpinia calcarata stem, the weight of the formed crystals were gradually reduced from 2.83 g to 0.24 g in struvite crystals, respectively. The crystals are harvested from the struvite were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) to confirm the functional groups Results obtained are indicated that Alpinia calcarata stem has the potential to inhibit the formation of struvite crystals. This study confirms that using methanol extract of Alpinia calcarata stem can promote the formation of ammonium magnesium phosphate hexahydrate crystals and reduce the nucleation rate of struvite crystals, a major component of triple phosphate urinary stone.
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