Vol. 6, Issue 1 (2017)

Author(s):
John Wyson W, Anantha Padmanabhan S, Marimuthu S, Deventhiran M, Saravanan P and Anand D

Abstract:
Due to the high preponderance of viral infections having no peculiar medication and the perpetual appearance of resistant viral strains, the development of novel antiviral agents is imperative. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antiviral potential of methanol and ethanolic crude extract of an ethnomedicine Sphagneticola calendulacea against Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV) using HEp-2 cell line. To assess the reduction of viability of infected or uninfected cell cultures, the MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol–2-yl)2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] colorimetric assay were used, and the capacity of the extracts to inhibit the lytic activity of VZV. The therapeutic index of the positive extracts for the antiviral activity was determined by calculating the ratio CC₅₀ (50% cytotoxic concentration) over IC₅₀ (50% inhibitory concentration of the viral effect). The results endorse that ethanol and methanol extract of S. calendulacea showed a maximum relative activity at 25μg/ml compared to the standard drug Acyclovir.