Antiviral activity of extracts of basidiomycetes and humic compounds substances against Human Immunodeficiency Virus (Retroviridae: Orthoretrovirinae: Lentivirus: Human immunodeficiency virus 1) and Herpes Simplex Virus (Herpesviridae: Simplexvirus: Human alphaherpesvirus 1)

Abstract

One of the most urgent problem of modern medicine is the fight against the disease caused bythe Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) - HIV infection. The chemical compounds have improved the situationfor infected people, but they are toxic, disrupt the metabolism and cannot eliminate the integrated virus from thebody. The emergence of resistant HIV strains makes these treatments ineffective. Often, the death of HIV-infectedpeople occurs as a result of the development of opportunistic infections caused by viruses of the Herpesviridaefamily. Therefore, the search for new therapeutic and preventive drugs that are less toxic and active against severalviruses at the same time is relevant. Basidiomycetes, higher fungi, are a source of medicinal compounds that haveantimicrobial properties, as well as antiviral ones. Humic compounds (HS) of various nature also have antiviralactivity.The aim of the study was to obtain nontoxic compounds from the basidiomycete Inonotus obliquus and humiccompounds from brown coals and to test their activity against viruses that are pathogenic to humans: HIV andHerpes Simplex Virus (HSV). The antiviral activity of melanin extracts obtained from the culture of the chaga fungusInonotus obliquus and HS from the brown coal of the Kansko-Achinsk Deposit was studied using a model of MT-4lymphoblastoid cells infected with HIV type 1 (HIV-1) strains and a monolayer culture of Vero cells infected withHSV type 1 (HSV-1) using virological and statistical research methods. It was found that all the studied compounds did not have a cytotoxic effect on cells at aconcentration of 100 mcg/ml. It was shown that extracts of basidiomycetes and HS have antiviral activity againstHIV-1 and HSV-1. EC50 (50%-effective concentration) for HIV-1 was 3.7-5.0 mcg/ml, selectivity index 28-35.Antiherpetic activity was detected at a dose of 50-100 mcg/ml. The antiviral effectiveness of melanin compoundswas established both in the «preventive» (2 hours before cell infection) and in the «therapeutic» regimen of drugadministration, both for HIV-1 and HSV-1. The presence of antiviral activity of melanin and HS in relation to theRNA-containing HIV-1 virus and DNA-containing HSV-1 virus in our study coincides with the results of a number ofauthors in relation to influenza viruses, herpes virus, HIV, hepatitis B virus, Coxsackievirus, smallpox vaccine virus,which suggests that the type of nucleic acid in the virus does not play a fundamental role in the antiviral action ofthese drugs. It is also clear that HS is effective against both enveloped and non-enveloped viruses. In general, it can be concluded that melanin and humic compounds are characterized by low toxicityin the presence of both virucidal and antiviral activity. This allows us to consider the studied compounds as thebasis for creating safe medicines that are effective against pathogens of various viral infections.