Anti-herpes simplex virus activity of sulfated galactans from the red seaweeds Gymnogongrus griffithsiae and Cryptonemia crenulata

• Published in: International journal of biological macromolecules 2004-04, Vol.34 (1), p.63-71
• Main Authors: Talarico, Laura B, Zibetti, Rosiane G.M, Faria, Paula C.S, Scolaro, Luis A, Duarte, Maria E.R, Noseda, Miguel D, Pujol, Carlos A, Damonte, Elsa B
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antiviral activity; Antiviral Agents - chemistry; Antiviral Agents - isolation & purification; Antiviral Agents - pharmacology; Brazil; Cercopithecus aethiops; d,l-Galactan hybrid; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical - methods; Female; Galactans - chemistry; Galactans - isolation & purification; Galactans - pharmacology; Herpes Simplex - drug therapy; Herpes simplex virus; Herpesvirus 1, Human - drug effects; Herpesvirus 2, Human - drug effects; Inhibitory Concentration 50; Kappa/iota/nu carrageenan; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Red seaweed; Seaweed - chemistry; Simplexvirus - drug effects; Sulfated polysaccharide; Sulfates; Toxicity Tests; Vaginal Diseases - drug therapy; Vaginal Diseases - virology; Vero Cells - virology
• ISSN: 0141-8130; 1879-0003
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2004.03.002

This study presents the chemical composition and antiviral activity against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and 2 (HSV-2) of sulfated galactan crude extracts and main fractions obtained from two red seaweeds collected in Brazil, Gymnogongrus griffithsiae and Cryptonemia crenulata. Most of the eighteen tested products, including homogeneous kappa/ iota/ nu carrageenan and dl-galactan hybrid, exhibited antiherpetic activity with inhibitory concentration 50% (IC 50) values in the range 0.5–5.6 μg/ml, as determined in a virus plaque reduction assay in Vero cells. The galactans lacked cytotoxic effects and showed a broad spectrum of antiviral activity against HSV-1 and HSV-2. No direct virus inactivation was observed after virion treatment with the galactans. The mode of action of these compounds could be mainly ascribed to an inhibitory effect on virus adsorption. Most importantly, a significant protection against a murine vaginal infection with HSV-2 was afforded by topical treatment with the sulfated galactans.