Anti-HIV-1 activity in human primary cells and Anti-HIV-1 RT inhibitory activity of extracts from the red seaweed Acanthophora spicifera

Abstract

First generation drugs such as zidovudine have been extensively used in clinical practice, resulting in the development of HIV resistance to these nucleoside analogs. Several studies have demonstrated the effective anti-HIV activity of natural products derived from seaweeds, suggesting promising sources of substances for the development of novel antiviral drugs. In this paper, the antiviral effect of extracts from the red seaweed Acanthophora spicifera on HIV-1 replication was evaluated in vitro. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells obtained using the Ficoll-Hypaque gradient were used for cytotoxicity and antiviral activity testing. The dichloromethane extracts, ethyl acetate, acetone, and methanol were found to have CC 50 values of 31±7.4, 45±11, 38±3.5, and 179±25 µg/mL, respectively. With the control, the extract prepared in ethyl acetate inhibited approximately 60% of the viral load, which is the best result among the extracts. This same extract showed an IC 50 value of 33.17±4.84 μg/mL for the reverse transcriptase. The EtOAc extract from A. spicifera showed to be an efficient HIV antiviral due to its phenolic compounds, as evaluated by nuclear magnetic resonance.

Promising Seaweeds against Human Viruses: A Review

“…The fucoidan extracted from the brown algae Sargassum polycystum, Sargassum mcclurei, and Turbinaria ornata hindered HIV-1 infection on pre-incubation with virus yet not with the cells, impeding the early strides of HIV invasion into target cells [32] . The phenolics containing extract of the red macro alga Acanthophora spicifera evaluated on PBMCs was reported to be an efficient anti-HIV-1 agent and possessed anti-HIV-1-reverse transcriptase inhibitory activity [33] . The Research studies undertaken by Sanniyasi et al [34] have manifested that sulfated polysaccharide fucoidan extracted from the brown seaweeds Dictyota bartayesiana and Turbinaria decurrens collected from the Gulf of Manner regions could successfully restrain the viral adsorption to host cell while assayed on PBMCs hence inhibiting the functioning of HIV-1 strain to a degree comparable to the drug tenofovir that is currently in vogue for antiretroviral activity.…”

“…Vero cells [31,47] Acanthophora spicifera Phenolics HIV-1 PBMCs [33] Schizymenia binderi Sulfated galactans HSV-1, HSV-2 Vero cells [40] Symphyocladia latiuscula -Bromophenol, sterol, glyceride CHIKV Vero cells and retinal neurons of chicken embryos [62] Hypnea musiformis Not reported HSV-1 HSV-2 Vero cells [49] Eucheuma gelatinae Sulfated polysaccharides HSV-1 Vero cells [52] Eucheuma denticulatum i/k/v-carrageenan Influenza virus MDCK cells [82] Gymnogongrus torulosus dl-galactan DENV-2 Vero cells [70] Gymnogongrus griffithsiae Sulfated kappa/iota/nu carrageenan DENV-2 Vero and HepG-2 cells [71] Cryptonemia crenulata dl-galactan hybrid DENV-2 Vero and HepG-2 cells [71] Merstiella gelidium Carrageenan DENV-2 Vero cells [72] Palisada perforata Not reported DENV-2 Huh 7.5 cells [74] Grateloupia indica Carrageenan DENV-2 Vero cells [75] Tricleocarpa fragilis Not reported Influenza virus MDCK cells [85] Kappahycus alvarezii Mannose specific lectins Influenza virus MDCK cells [88] Brown seaweeds…”