Antiviral Activity of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Mediated by Plumbago indica L. Extract Against Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 (HSV-1)

Abstract

Introduction Plumbago indica L. is considered a valuable source in the Plumbaginaceae family for various types of active compound such as alkaloids, phenolics and saponins. To promote the usage of P. indica in the bionanotechnology field, zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) were biosynthesized by using its alcoholic extract. The inhibitory effects of ZnONPs and the plant extract were also evaluated against HSV-1. Methods ZnONPs were described by the following techniques, UV–visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and x-ray diffraction (XRD). The phenolic and flavonoid contents of P. indica extract, which are accountable for bioreduction, formation and stabilization of the nanoparticles, were analyzed by HPLC technique. The antiviral assessment was implemented on both agents by using Vero cell lines. Results DLS revealed that the average size of ZnONPs was 32.58 ± 7.98 nm and the zeta potential was –20.8 mV. The observation of TEM analysis revealed that the particle size of ZnONPs varied from 2.56 to 8.83 nm. The XRD analysis verified the existence of pure crystals of hexagonal shapes of nanoparticles of ZnO with a main average size of 35.28 nm that is approximating to the values of particle size acquired by SEM analysis (19.64 and 23.21 nm). The HPLC analysis of P. indica ethanolic extract showed that gallic acid, chlorogenic acid and rutin were the major compounds, with concentrations equal to 8203.99, 2965.95 and 1144.99 µg/g, respectively. Regarding the antiviral assessment, the synthesized uncalcinated ZnONPs were found to exhibit a promising activity against HSV-1, with CC 50 and IC 50 values equal to 43.96 ± 1.39 and 23.17 ± 2.29 µg/mL, respectively. Conclusion The green synthesized ZnONPs are considered promising adjuvants to enhance the efficacy of HSV-1 drugs.

Nanoparticles of Bioactive Metals/Metal Oxides and Their Nanocomposites with Antibacterial Drugs for Biomedical Applications

“…ZnO INPs poses bactericidal activity against P. aeruginosa , E. coli , S. aureus , S. enterica , C. jejuni , and V. cholerae , antiviral activity against Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 and hepatitis A virus, and antifungal activity against Botrytis cinerea , Penicillium expansum , Erythricium salmonicolor , and Candida albicans [ 91 , 92 , 93 , 94 , 95 , 96 , 97 ]. ZnO nanoparticles in different ratios inhibited the growth of antibiotic-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains, but did not lead to bacterial death [ 98 ].…”

Nanomaterials to combat SARS-CoV-2: Strategies to prevent, diagnose and treat COVID-19

“…These face masks have also been improved by using nanomaterials that present antimicrobial and antiviral properties, such as nanoparticles (NPs) (i.e., melt-blown polypropylene and nylon-cotton with antiviral zinc oxide-NPs) (Gonzalez et al, 2021), metal NPs (i.e., silver NPs (AgNPs)) (Valdez-Salas et al, 2021), spray or polymers of copper, gold, silver, zinc oxide (this could be washed and reused) or TiO 2 (TiO 2 Ag-based facemasks are able to degrade 99.99% of viruses under zero light conditions) (Balagna et al, 2020;Konda et al, 2020;Mahapatra et al, 2020;Nickels, 2020;Sportelli et al, 2020;Wang et al, 2021a;Nbic+, 2022;Promethean-Particles-Ltd, 2022;Sonovia-SonoMask, 2022), in order to stop the virus transmission chain (Figure 2A). These metal oxide-derived NPs, embedded in face masks, act as antiviral or, in general, as antimicrobial compounds by Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology frontiersin.org inhibiting the catalytic activity of the microorganisms' enzymes (i.e, viral polymerases and proteinases), which are key for their survival and pathogenicity (Cai et al, 2019;Wang et al, 2021a;Melk et al, 2021;Pachaiappan et al, 2021;Mendes et al, 2022). Moreover, due to their small size, these metal oxide-derived NPs enhance the surface contact with viruses and bacteria, as reported for Ag-TiO 2 single atom nanozyme (SAN) that allows efficient adsorption for SARS-CoV2 through the association of Ag atoms with Cys and Asn residues of the RBD sequence of the viral S1 subunit (Wang et al, 2021a).…”

“…Moreover, due to their small size, these metal oxide-derived NPs enhance the surface contact with viruses and bacteria, as reported for Ag-TiO 2 single atom nanozyme (SAN) that allows efficient adsorption for SARS-CoV2 through the association of Ag atoms with Cys and Asn residues of the RBD sequence of the viral S1 subunit (Wang et al, 2021a). These metal oxide-derived NPs, in contact with virus could also trigger the formation of reactive oxygen species (i.e., hydrogen peroxide anions and superoxide radical anions) which cause damage to the viral membranes and cell wall of bacteria, as well as to internal components, thereby impairing their uncoating, growth and integrity (Cai et al, 2019;Hamza et al, 2021;Melk et al, 2021;Pachaiappan et al, 2021;Mendes et al, 2022). Noteworthy, the effects of these metal oxide-derived NPs could depend on their composition and dose (Zanet et al, 2019;Wang et al, 2021a).…”

The Biosynthesized Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles’ Antiviral Activity in Combination with Pelargonium zonale Extract against the Human Corona 229E Virus

“…ZnONPs are also absorbed by the body more easily than ordinary zinc compounds, so ZnONPs are expected to play an important role in fighting coronaviruses [ 6 ]. In addition, ZnONPs exhibit antiviral action against numerous viruses, including different respiratory viruses and herpes viruses, such as SARS-CoV-2 [ 7 ]. The plant kingdom is rich with plants that possess tremendous natural products that have diverse biological activities [ 8 ].…”