Inactivating and inhibitory activity of dry ethanol extracts of wormwood (Artemisia spp.) on herpes simplex virus of the 2 type in vitro

Aim. In vitro assessment of the inactivating and inhibitory activity of dry ethanol extracts of various wormwood species (Artemisia spp.) native to the Novosibirsk region and Altai Republic on the replication of Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2).

Vegetable raw materials were collected and dry ethanol extracts of various types of wormwood were prepared. The laboratory strain MS HSV-2 was used. The inactivating and inhibitory activity of the extracts was analysed on Vero E6 cell culture according to generally accepted methods. The comparison sample is the lyophilized drug acyclovir (FARMLAND, Republic of Belarus). The content of biologically active substances (BAS) in the extracts was carried out by mass spectrometry.

The inactivating and inhibitory activity of dry ethanol extracts of     Artemisia spp. dissolved in DMSO was revealed in the range of 50 % effective concentrations (EC₅₀) from 2.46±0.63 μg/ml to            218.75±40.09 μg/ml in the reactions of direct inactivation (neutralization) of the virus and from 13.67±2.50 to 218.75±40.09 μg/ml according to the schemes of "prevention" of infection and "treatment" of infected cells, respectively. The percentage of flavonoids in terms of rutin, polyphenolic compounds in terms of catechin and oxycoric acids in terms of chlorogenic acid was determined by spectrophotometry in extracts.

Based on the results obtained it can be concluded that ethanol extracts of Artemisia spp. dissolved in DMSO contain BAS (these are flavonoids, polyphenolic compounds and oxycoric acids) that promote the inactivation of free virions and effectively act on HSV-2 replication inside infected cells in vitro.

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