In vitro antiviral activity of propolis and Baccharis sp. extracts on animal herpesviruses / Atividade antiviral in vitro de extratos de própolis e de Baccharis sp. sobre herpes vírus animal

This study evaluated the in vitro antiviral activity of propolis and Baccharis sp. extracts on three animal herpesviruses (bovine, equine and swine). The propolis samples were produced by two species of bees. There was red and green propolis, which came from africanized Apis melifera, and a third type obtained from a native bee species, Tetragonisca angustula (jatai). The Baccharis extracts were obtained from four different species: B. oblongifolia, B. burchellii, B. dracunculifolia and B. uncinella. The maximum non-toxic concentration of the extracts was determined when no visible morphological changes were observed on the cells. These non-toxic concentrations were used in the antiviral tests. Antiviral activity was evaluated using a reduction assay of the cytopathic effect, which calculated the difference between treated and control virus titer by statistical analysis. Red propolis was active against the three herpesviruses and green propolis showed inhibition against the equine and swine herpesviruses. Conversely, jataí propolis showed no antiviral activity. Most extracts coming from male and female individuals of all of the Baccharis species showed antiviral activity against bovine and swine herpesviruses. Only the extract of the female specimen of B. oblongifolia was an inhibitor against equine herpesvirus.(AU)

O trabalho avaliou a atividade antiviral in vitro de própolis e espécies de Baccharis sobre três herpes vírus animais (bovino, equino e suíno). As própolis foram produzidas por duas espécies de abelhas. Pela Apis melifera (abelha africanizada) foram obtidas duas própolis, vermelha e verde, e uma terceira foi obtida pela abelha nativa Tetragonisca angustula (abelha jataí). Os extratos de Baccharis foram obtidos de 4 espécies diferentes: B. ­oblongifolia, B. burchellii, B. dracunculifolia e B. uncinella. A concentração máxima não tóxica dos extratos foi determinada pela ausência de alterações morfológicas nas células, e essas concentrações então utilizadas nos testes antivirais. A atividade antiviral foi avaliada pela redução do efeito citopático e calculada a partir da diferença entre o título viral do tratado pelo controle e feita a análise estatística. A própolis vermelha foi ativa contra os três herpes vírus, e a própolis verde apresentou inibição contra os herpes vírus equino e suíno, enquanto a própolis da abelha jataí não apresentou atividade antiviral. A maioria dos extratos dos indivíduos masculinos e femininos de todas as espécies de Baccharis apresentou atividade antiviral contra os herpes vírus bovino e suíno. Apenas o extrato do indivíduo feminino de B. oblongifolia foi inibidor contra o herpes vírus equino.(AU)

In vitro antiviral activity of seeds from Guettarda angelica against avian viruses.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the inhibition of the aqueous extract of seeds (AEs) from Guettarda angelica on cell infection by two avian RNA viruses: avian reovirus (ARV) and metapneumovirus (AMPV). The cytotoxic and antiviral activities were evaluated by MTT assay to determine the 50% cytotoxic (CC50) and inhibitory concentrations (IC50). The selectivity index (SI=CC50/IC50) also carried out. AEs exhibited antiviral activity only against ARV presenting IC50 of 23.59μg/mL. This inhibition was not due to any cytotoxic effect of AEs since the CC50 on Vero cells was of 400.60μg/mL and its SI was of 17.00; this extract also showed a virucidal effect on ARV. Previous studies also demonstrated antiviral activity of AEs extract against three animal herpesviruses. Thus, the seeds from G. angelica showing antiviral activity against DNA and RNA viruses, enveloped and non-enveloped, could be promising source of new antiviral agents encouraging its fractionation to isolate the active compound.

Partial VP1 sequencing of Brazilian infectious bursal disease virus strains

Infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) is classified according to the antigenicity and virulence into classical virulent (cv), very virulent (vv), and antigenic variant strains. The molecular basis for the IBDV antigenic variation is well established and is associated to the capsid protein, VP2 (gene VP2 of segment A), whereas both VP2 and the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, VP1 (gene VP1 of segment B), have been correlated with the virulence. In this study, seventeen Brazilian IBDV samples previously characterized by the VP2 gene as cv (three) and vv (fourteen) strains were genetically and molecularly analyzed for their VP1 gene. All of the strains kept with the same cv or vv classification except one sample, Br/03/DR. This sample was classified as vv by its VP2 gene, but it was most closely related to the cv strains by its VP1 partial sequence and phylogeny. Studies on the phylogeny of VP1 have suggested a possible reassortment event that originated the vvVP1. In this case, the sample carrying vvVP2 and cvVP1 could be a descendant of IBDV ancestors prior to the reassortment of vvVP1; alternatively, it could be the result of a genetic exchange between the segments of different strains or with a live attenuated vaccine. Nevertheless, this is the first report of natural genetic reassortment of IBDV in Brazil.

Inhibitory activity of compounds isolated from Polymnia sonchifolia on aflatoxin production by Aspergillus flavus

Polymnia sonchifolia, conhecida como "Yacon", e originária da cordilheira dos Andes, sendo muito conhecida devido ao uso de seu tubérculo no controle da Diabetes melitus. Suas folhas podem conter compostos com atividade antifúngica e pesticida, pois não é necessário o uso destes produtos no seu cultivo. Neste trabalho descrevemos a identificação da estrutura química de dois flavonóides isolados das folhas de Polymnia sonchifolia: 3', 5, 7 trihydroxy-3, 4'-dimethoxyflavone (composto 1) e 3',4',5-trihidroxi-7-metoxiflavanona (composto 2) e de duas lactonas sesquiterpenicas: enidrina (composto 3) e uma mistura de enidrina e uvedalina (composto 4), bem como seus efeitos na produção de aflatoxinas por Aspergillus flavus. A identificação dos compostos foi realizada por RMN 13C e 1H. Todos os compostos foram testados em diversas concentrações em cultura de Aspergillus flavus para avaliar o crescimento e a produção de aflatoxina. O composto 1 na concentração de 15 mg/mL inibiu 25 por cento da produção de aflatoxina B1 (p<0,01). O composto 4 inibiu o crescimento do fungo e a produção da aflatoxina B1 em 34 por cento e 76 por cento, respectivamente. Os resultados mostraram a possibilidade do uso de Polymnia sonchifolia no controle alternativo da producao de aflatoxina B1 pelo fungo Aspergillus flavus.

Susceptibility of cell lines to avian viruses

The susceptibility of the five cell lines - IB-RS-2, RK-13, Vero, BHK-21, CER - to reovirus S1133 and infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV vaccine GBV-8 strain) was studied to better define satisfactory and sensitive cell culture systems. Cultures were compared for presence of CPE, virus titers and detection of viral RNA were detected in CER and BHK-21 cells after retrovirus inoculation and in RK-13 cell line after IBDV inoculation and with high virus titers. Virus replication by production of low virus titers occurred in IB-RS-2 and Vero cells with reovirus and in BHK-21 cell line with IBDV