Abstract
Stephania tetrandra and other related species of Menispermaceae are the major sources of the bis-benzylisoquinoline alkaloids tetrandrine (TET), fangchinoline (FAN), and cepharanthine (CEP). Although the pharmacological properties of these compounds include anticancer and anti-inflammatory activities, the antiviral effects of these compounds against human coronavirus (HCoV) remain unclear. Hence, the aims of the current study were to assess the antiviral activities of TET, FAN, and CEP and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms in HCoV-OC43-infected MRC-5 human lung cells. These compounds significantly inhibited virus-induced cell death at the early stage of virus infection. TET, FAN, and CEP treatment dramatically suppressed the replication of HCoV-OC43 as well as inhibited viral S and N protein expression. The virus-induced host response was reduced by compound treatment as compared with the vehicle control. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that TET, FAN, and CEP are potential natural antiviral agents for the prevention and treatment of HCoV-OC43 infection.
Highlights
IntroductionVarious medicinal herbs with anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and antitumor activities have been widely studied to identify those with antiviral properties [2,3,4]
Natural products are regarded as good sources for the development of antiviral agents [1].Various medicinal herbs with anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and antitumor activities have been widely studied to identify those with antiviral properties [2,3,4]
MRC-5 cells were cultured with two-fold serial dilutions of each compound and infected with human coronavirus (HCoV)-OC43
Summary
Various medicinal herbs with anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and antitumor activities have been widely studied to identify those with antiviral properties [2,3,4]. Stephania tetrandra and other related species of Menispermaceae are the major sources of the bis-benzylisoquinoline alkaloids tetrandrine (TET), fangchinoline (FAN), and cepharanthine (CEP). These herbal plants have been traditionally used for various medicinal purposes in the East Asian countries [5]. Opatz demonstrated that the bioreactive properties of these bis-benzylisoquinoline alkaloids include. TET exhibits broad pharmacological actions that include anti-inflammatory effects as well as immunosuppressant and anticancer activities [5]
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