Abstract
Herpesviruses are DNA viruses that infect humans and animals with the ability to induce latent and lytic infections in their hosts, causing critical health complications. The enrolment of nutraceutical anti-herpesvirus drugs in clinical investigations with promising levels of reduced resistance, free or minimal cellular toxicity, and diverse mechanisms of action might be an effective way to defeat challenges that hurdle the progress of anti-herpesvirus drug development, including the problems with drug resistance and recurrent infections. Therefore, in this review, we aim to hunt down all investigations that feature the curative properties of curcumin, a principal bioactive phenolic compound of the spice turmeric, in regard to various human and animal herpesvirus infections and inflammation connected with these diseases. Curcumin was explored with potent antiherpetic actions against herpes simplex virus type 1 and type 2, human cytomegalovirus, Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus, Epstein–Barr virus, bovine herpesvirus 1, and pseudorabies virus. The mechanisms and pathways by which curcumin inhibits anti-herpesvirus activities by targeting multiple steps in herpesvirus life/infectious cycle are emphasized. Improved strategies to overcome bioavailability challenges that limit its use in clinical practice, along with approaches and new directions to enhance the anti-herpesvirus efficacy of this compound, are also reviewed. According to the reviewed studies, this paper presents curcumin as a promising natural drug for the prevention and treatment of herpesvirus infections and their associated inflammatory diseases.
Highlights
Infection with herpesviruses is frequently observed in humans and animals, inducing a range of diseases from moderate uncomplicated mucocutaneous infection to those that are life-threatening [1,2]
The results proposed hydroxyl and carbonyl groups along with phenyl rings of curcumin as functional groups that are accountable for the anti-herpes simplex virus (HSV)-1 thymidine kinase (TK) activity
The results indicated that treatment with curcumin at a concentration of 30 μM has led to significant blocking of Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) reactivation by reducing expression of the switch gene replication and transcription activator (RTA) and the delayed-early gene K8
Summary
Infection with herpesviruses is frequently observed in humans and animals, inducing a range of diseases from moderate uncomplicated mucocutaneous infection to those that are life-threatening [1,2]. Herpesviruses belong to the family of Herpesviridae, which is a large family of DNA viruses with severely contagious properties that use a strategy of infection known as travel and hide [3,4]. These viruses share the feature of forming lifelong infections in a latent phase with the potential of periodic reactivation. Integrated management of herpesvirus infections remains the main challenge in virology research, where these infections are still
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