Abstract
Herpes simplex viruses (HSVs) are common human pathogens belonging to the subfamily alpha-herpesvirinae that trigger severe infections in neonates and immunocompromised patients. After primary infection, the HSVs establish a lifelong latent infection in the vegetative neural ganglia of their hosts. HSV infections contribute to substantial disease burden in humans as well as in newborns. Despite a fair number of drugs being available for the treatment of HSV infections, new, effective, and safe antiviral agents, exerting different mechanisms of action, are urgently required, mainly due to the increasing number of resistant strains. Accumulating pieces of evidence have suggested that structurally diverse compounds from marine algae possess promising anti-HSV potentials. Several studies have documented a variety of algal polysaccharides possessing anti-HSV activity, including carrageenan and fucan. This review aimed to compile previous anti-HSV studies on marine algae–derived compounds, especially sulfated polysaccharides, along with their mode of action, toward their development as novel natural anti-HSV agents for future investigations.
Highlights
Viral infections count as the most predominant cause of death in humans worldwide [1]
Processes 2019, 7, 887 frequently with orofacial infections and encephalitis, while Herpes simplex viruses (HSVs)-2 is associated with genital infections that can be transmitted from infected mother to fetus
Agardh was considered to be a selective inhibitor of thymidine kinase (TK) acyclovir-resistant herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) and herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) strains in Vero cells and reference strains with EC50 of approximately 2.2–4.2 μg/mL [60]
Summary
Viral infections count as the most predominant cause of death in humans worldwide [1]. Processes 2019, 7, 887 frequently with orofacial infections and encephalitis, while HSV-2 is associated with genital infections that can be transmitted from infected mother to fetus These viruses can establish persistent, long-term, latent infections in sensory neurons and cause lesions at the entry point of the human body [6,7]. These characteristic features of latency enhance the pathogenicity of HSV and enable it to be used for therapeutic purposes. The viruses are the causative agents of different disease conditions like cold sores, chickenpox, mononucleosis, and warts, and can develop recurring and latent infections in both animals and humans [12]. Males and females of all ages but is more common in infants and children with atopic dermatitis
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