Assessment of the anti-herpes simplex virus type 1 activity of a water extract from Cinnamon / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective@#To evaluate the anti- herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) activity of KPC-rg1, a water extract from Cinnamomum cassia, and explore its potential function of broad-spectrum antivirus effect.@*Methods@#In vitro, the changes of morphology of Vero cells were assessed and viral loads were detected after cells were infected with HSV-1 alone and HSV-1 pre-treated with KPC-rg1 respectively. The corneal lesions of mouse and tree shrew corneal infection model were evaluated after they were infected with HSV-1 alone and HSV-1 pre-treated with KPC-rg1 respectively. The antiviral activity of KPC-rg1 against 9 viruses were measured by CPE and GFP reduction assays.@*Results@#The virus replication of HSV-1 infected cells was moderately inhibited by KPC-rg1 in a dose range of 0.0001-1.0 mg/ml, while the cells were completely protected when they were infected with HSV-1 pre-treated with KPC-rg1 (0.001-1.0 mg/ml). The corneal lesions of animals were improved in both mouse and tree shrews models infected with HSV-1 after the treatment of KPC-rg1, while animals were completely protected from infection when HSV-1 pre-treated with KPC-rg1. KPC-rg1 had a potential anti-virus effect on the enveloped viruses such as HSV-1, HCMV, RSV alone and HIV-1.@*Conclusions@#KPC-rg1 is a collosol (Tyndall effect) which would immediately form a stable super-nanoparticle structure of KPC-rg1/virus when encounter virus, and thus the virus coated by KPC-rg1 lost its ability of infection. KPC-rg1 can reduce the suffering by newly or latent virus infection because its encapsulation of virus and inhibition of further infection. Our study added additional proofs of the anti-viral property of the water extract from Cinnamomum cassia, and provided a further basis to develop KPC-rg1 as a drug which could be potentially applied in clinic to treat HSV-1 infection.