Abstract
BackgroundMany plants of boreal forest of Quebec have been used by Native Americans to treat a variety of microbial infections. However, the antiviral activities of these plants have been seldom evaluated on cellular models to validate their in vitro efficiencies. In this study, Cornus canadensis L. (Cornaceae), a plant used in Native American traditional medicine to treat possible antiviral infections, has been selected for further examination.MethodsThe plant was extracted by decoction and infusion with water, water/ethanol 1:1 and ethanol to obtain extracts similar to those used by Native Americans. The effects of the extracts were tested on herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) using a plaque reduction assay. Moreover, bioassay-guided fractionation was achieved to isolate bioactive compounds.ResultsWater/ethanol 1:1 infusion of C. canadensis leaves were the most active extracts to inhibit virus absorption with EC50 of about 9 μg mL−1, whereas for direct mode, both extraction methods using water or water/ethanol 1:1 as solvent were relatively similar with EC50 ranging from 11 to 17 μg mL−1. The fractionation led to the identification of active fractions containing hydrolysable tannins. Tellimagrandin I was found the most active compound with an EC50 of 2.6 μM for the direct mode and 5.0 μM for the absorption mode.ConclusionAltogether, the results presented in this work support the antiviral activity of Cornus canadensis used in Native American traditional medicine.
Highlights
Many plants of boreal forest of Quebec have been used by Native Americans to treat a variety of microbial infections
The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) activity of a plant used by the Native Americans in traditional medicine
Extraction yield and cytotoxicity of the extracts on Vero cells Leaves were extracted by decoction or infusion, using water, water/ethanol 1:1 and ethanol as solvent, to obtain extracts similar to those used by Native Americans
Summary
Many plants of boreal forest of Quebec have been used by Native Americans to treat a variety of microbial infections. The antiviral activities of these plants have been seldom evaluated on cellular models to validate their in vitro efficiencies. (Cornaceae), a plant used in Native American traditional medicine to treat possible antiviral infections, has been selected for further examination. Herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) is one of the most common infections in the human population. The prevalence in the world’s population aged between 0 and 49 years old was estimated in 2012 at 3.7 billion people (67%) [1]. HSV-1 is an encapsulated DNA virus of the family Herpesviridae. It is responsible for self-limiting infections causing vesicular lesions of the oral (herpes labialis) or genital mucosa (genital herpes) [1].
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