Inhibitor against the human immunodeficiency virus in aqueous extracts of Alternanthera philoxeroides
Zhang, S.M.; He, Y.S.; Tabba, H.D.; Smith, K.M.
Chinese Medical Journal 101(11): 861-866
1988
ISSN/ISBN: 0366-6999 PMID: 3150731 Document Number: 321033
Aqueous extracts of Alternanthera philoxeroides (Kong Xin Lia) inhibited the growth of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in vitro at concentration non-toxic to the host cell. The minimal inhibitory concentration was 1.8 mg/ml and the subtoxic concentration, 29 mg/ml. At 15 mg/ml, the extract was non-inhibitory to HIV reverse transcriptase; but at 60 and 120 mg/ml, it inhibited the reverse transcriptase activity by 50% and 95%. At the subtoxic but not at the minimal inhibitory concentration, the extract inhibited HIV induced cell fusion. Interferon-inducer could not be demonstrated in the extract. The extract destroyed partially the infectivity of extracellular virions of the human immunodeficiency herpes simplex, and respiratory syncytial viruses but had no effect on the vesicular stomatitis, polio and adeno virions. It was also inhibitory to the growth of the herpes simplex and respiratory syncytial but not to the growth of the vesicular stomatitis, adeno and polio viruses. Chemical studies indicated that the active anti-HIV component was heatstable, water soluble and non-dialyzable. The extract had a pH of 5.6; had no aromatic ring CH absorption by infrared spectroscopy; and, had no aromatic protons characteristic of phenols but abundant polyhydroxylated compounds by nuclear magnetic resonance analysis. These chemical data indicated that the anti-HIV component was not a polyphenolic compound but might be a partially sulfonated polysaccharide.