Abstract

Chelidonium majus Linnaeus (L) has been used in a variety of practical applications in medical sciences. Its antiviral activity against herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) was investigated in cell culture. C. majus L. extract was found to be non-toxic to Vero cells (African green monkey kidney cells) up to concentration 1000 mg/ml and inhibited the growth and development of HSV-1 in dose-dependent manner in Vero cells. In order to study the possible mechanisms of the antiviral activity of C. majus L. extract, cells were treated with extract before, during and after infection, and the viral titers were tested by TCID₅₀ assay. The antiviral effects in treatment of post and during virus infections were more remarkable than the treatment of pre-infection. For further investigation indirect immunofluorescence technique was used to elucidate the antiviral mechanism of the extract by infecting Vero cells at different times and monitoring the synthesis of viral proteins. Although the precise mechanism has not yet to be defined, our work indicated that C. majus L. extract could inhibit growth and development of HSV-1 in cells in vitro.

Key words: Chelidonium majus L, herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1), antiviral activity, Vero cell, TCID₅₀.