Evaluation of phytochemicals from Indian traditional medicinal plants as antihiv-1 Drugs

Abstract

According to a global estimate, the growing infection by Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 (HIV-1) causing development of a dreaded disease i.e., Acquired Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) has been a major health risk resulting into loss of lives of about 25 million people in the last 25 years. The information available on basic biological processes in the HIV life-cycle suggest that it destroys a subpopulation of T-lymphocytes containing CD4 receptor and CXCR4 or CCR5 as a coreceptor on their surface. These molecules on cell surface are required by the virus for docking and internalization. Since the availability of a suitable vaccine against this virus is currently far from reach and the presently available synthetic anti-HIV therapeutics exhibit severe toxicity and induce emergence of drug resistant mutations, it was imperative to explore plant-based principles targeting specific steps in the viral life-cycle. Moreover, the advancement in separation, purification and chemical characterization technologies for identification of natural compounds has offered promises for the usage of medicinal plants in modern drug discovery. With a few newly discovered natural products demonstrating anti-HIV potential in comparison to a vast number of previously known natural products exhibiting activity against HIV, a multiplex approach is required for exploring cost effective, safe, and efficient plant based anti-HIV drugs with very small LD50 value exhibiting efficacy at nanomolar / picomolar range. This article illustrates an updated account of information on the anti-HIV-1 efficacy of some bioactive molecules isolated from different medicinal plants. Furthermore, the article highlights some chemical compounds isolated from weeds showing activity against functions of viral reverse transcriptase (HIV-1RT), protease and integrase enzymes.