Viruses, Vol. 15, Pages 1651: Mechanistic Understanding of the Antiviral Properties of Pistachios and Zeaxanthin against HSV-1

Viruses, Vol. 15, Pages 1651: Mechanistic Understanding of the Antiviral Properties of Pistachios and Zeaxanthin against HSV-1 Viruses doi: 10.3390/v15081651 Authors: Rosamaria Pennisi Paola Trischitta Maria Pia Tamburello Davide Barreca Giuseppina Mandalari Maria Teresa Sciortino The search for alternative clinical treatments to fight resistance and find alternative antiviral treatments for the herpes simplex virus (HSV) is of great interest. Plants are rich sources of novel antiviral, pharmacologically active agents that provide several advantages, including reduced side effects, less resistance, low toxicity, and different mechanisms of action. In the present work, the antiviral activity of Californian natural raw (NRRE) and roasted unsalted (RURE) pistachio polyphenols-rich extracts was evaluated against HSV-1 using VERO cells. Two different extraction methods, with or without n-hexane, were used. Results showed that n-hexane-extracted NRRE and RURE exerted an antiviral effect against HSV-1, blocking virus binding on the cell surface, affecting viral DNA synthesis as well as accumulation of ICP0, UL42, and Us11 viral proteins. Additionally, the identification and quantification of phenolic compounds by RP-HPLC-DAD confirmed that extraction with n-hexane exclusively accumulated tocopherols, carotenoids, and xanthophylls. Amongst these, zeaxanthin exhibited strong antiviral activity against HSV-1 (CC50: 16.1 µM, EC50 4.08 µM, SI...
Source: Viruses - Category: Virology Authors: Tags: Article Source Type: research