<p>Antiviral Effects of Oleandrin</p>

Abstract

Over the past 15 years, investigators have reported on the utility and safety of cardiac glycosides for numerous health benefits including those as treatments for malignant disease, stroke-mediated ischemic injury and certain neurodegenerative diseases. In addition to those, there is a growing body of evidence for novel antiviral effects of selected cardiac glycoside molecules. One unique cardiac glycoside, oleandrin derived from Nerium oleander , has been reported to have antiviral activity specifically against ‘enveloped’ viruses including HIV and HTLV-1. Importantly, a recent publication has presented in vitro evidence for oleandrin’s ability to inhibit production of infectious virus particles when used for treatment prior to, as well as after infection by SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19. This review will highlight the known in vitro antiviral effects of oleandrin as well as present previously unpublished effects of this novel cardiac glycoside against Ebola virus, Cytomegalovirus , and Herpes simplex viruses.

Toxicity of herbal medications suggested as treatment for COVID‐19: A narrative review

“…3 Oleandrin is a derivative of the plant Nerium oleander, an ornamental shrub native to Northern Africa, the Eastern Mediterranean Basin, and Southeast Asia. 16,17 Oleandrin is a cardiac glycoside with structures and action similar to those of digoxin. [18][19][20][21] Cardiac glycosides work by inhibiting the enzyme, Na+/K+ ATPase, in the membrane of cardiac myocytes.…”

“…[18][19][20][21] Cardiac glycosides work by inhibiting the enzyme, Na+/K+ ATPase, in the membrane of cardiac myocytes. [17][18][19][20][21] This ultimately leads to an accumulation of intracellular calcium, and these changes in calcium concentration result in increased cardiac inotropy and decreased chronotropy. 20,21 Poisoning by ingestion of this plant is a common toxicological emergency in tropical and subtropical parts of the world and intentional self-harm following ingestion is prevalent in South Asian countries.…”

Antiviral activity of oleandrin and a defined extract of Nerium oleander against SARS-CoV-2

“…These data will be reported in a follow up study. The list of specific enveloped viruses, now including SARS-CoV-2, against which oleandrin and extracts containing this molecule have been shown to be effective continues to expand [20] . As such, consideration of this re-purposed cardenolide as a safe and effective antiviral agent with its unusual ability to reduce progeny viral infectivity should be given serious further consideration.…”

“…Less appreciated is the antiviral activity of this class of compounds. Recent reviews have described antiviral activities of cardenolides, such as oleandrin, against cytomegalovirus, Herpes simplex virus, adenovirus, chikungunya virus, coronaviruses, respiratory syncytial virus, Ebola virus, influenza virus and human immunodeficiency virus [19] , [20] . We recently reported that oleandrin also has strong antiviral activity against HIV-1 and HTLV-1 [21] , [22] .…”

Modulating Neurological Complications of Emerging Infectious Diseases: Mechanistic Approaches to Candidate Phytochemicals

“…Ellagic acid, myricetin, and some other phytochemicals ( Setlur et al, 2017 ) as anti-Ebola compounds act through inhibiting virus entry ( Cui et al, 2018 ) and RNA interaction, respectively ( Daino et al, 2018 ). An in vitro antiviral effect of oleandrin acts as a novel cardiac glycoside against the EBOV ( Newman et al, 2020 ). Some preclinical evidence suggests the effectiveness of cannabinoids in viral diseases ( Mabou Tagne et al, 2020 ).…”