The in vitro anti-viral potential of Setarud (IMOD™), a commercial herbal medicine with protective activity against acquired immune deficiency syndrome in clinical trials

Abstract

Objectives: Setarud (IMOD™) is a herbal medicine with beneficial effect for patients suffering Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and has been approved for IV (intra venues) injection. The beneficial effect of IMOD administration for acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) patient has been proved in previous clinical trials. Here the in vitro inhibitory effect of IMOD against HIV-1, Herpes simplex virus (HSV) and murine leukemia viruses (MLV) was evaluated.

Materials and methods: HIV single cycle replication and HSV plaque reduction assays were used to evaluate the anti-viral effect. The level of HIV replication was monitored by p24 capture Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The single round infection [with green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter MLV and HIV], virucidal and time-of-additions (HSV) assays were utilized to determine the mode of anti-viral activity. The toxicity of IMOD for cells was monitored by XTT (sodium 3_-[1 (phenylaminocarbonyl)- 3,4-tetrazolium]-bis (4-methoxy-6-nitro)benzene sulfonic acid) cell proliferation assay kit.

Results: IMOD inhibited 50% of HIV-1 and HSV replication (IC(50)) at 6.5 × 10(-4) and 4.3 × 10(-3)V/V concentrations, respectively. The IC(50) value against HIV-1 and MLV infection were 6 × 10(-4)V/V and 4.9 × 10(-4)V/V. Virucidal assay showed that IMOD reduces the potency of HIV and HSV particles to 41 and 54% of control, respectively. Time-of-addition study revealed that IMOD inhibits the replication of HSV at a stage after penetration of virions to the target cells.

Conclusions: Data from this study indicate that IMOD has significant anti-viral activity against HIV, HSV and MLV. Setarud could be subjected to further investigation after isolation of the constituents and determination of the toxic components.

Keywords: Anti-viral activity; human immunodeficiency virus; setarud (IMOD™).

Figure 1

The anti-viral potential of IMOD. Significant reduction in Human immunodeficiency virus and Herpes simplex virus (HSV) replication was observed from 10^-4V/V IMOD concentration. It able to completely block virions at 10^-2V/V. toxicity of Setarud (IMOD) for target cells is also shown in this figure. IMOD reduced 50 percent of cell proliferation at 5.4 × 10^-3V/V concentration

Figure 2

Anti-viral activity of Setarud (IMOD) against retrovirus control (Murine leukemia virus – MLV) over Human immunodeficiency virus - 1 (HIV-1). Significant inhibition of MLV and HIV-1 virions infection can be seen from 10^-4V/V concentration of IMOD. Almost all of both retroviruses infection was blocked at 10^-2V/V concentration. As it can be seen in this figure, there is no difference between inhibition capacity of IMOD for HIV-1 and MLV virions

Figure 3

The virucidal effect of Setarud (IMOD) for Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Herpes simplex virus (HSV) virions. The virions were incubated with 10^-2V/V of IMOD for 0.5 and 5 hours and then the viral replication was investigated by HIV replication and HSV plaque reduction assays. The amount of HSV and HIV virions replication after exposure to the IMOD is shown here

Figure 4

The inhibitory effect of Setarud (IMOD) on different stages of Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection. IMOD was added to the cell enviroment in different intervals of HSV replication including before (-6 and 02 hours), during (0 hour) and after (+2 and +6) infection. Results showed that IMOD is not effective for inhibition of virions if is added to cells enviroment before viral penetrion. It significantly inhibits viral replication if is added after infection