Safety and anti-HIV assessments of natural vaginal cleansing products in an established topical microbicides in vitro testing algorithm

At present, there is no effective vaccine or other approved product for the prevention of sexually transmitted human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection. It has been reported that women in resource-poor communities use vaginally applied citrus juices as topical microbicides. These easily...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:AIDS research and therapy 2010-07, Vol.7 (1), p.22-22, Article 22
Main Authors: Lackman-Smith, Carol S, Snyder, Beth A, Marotte, Katherine M, Osterling, Mark C, Mankowski, Marie K, Jones, Maureen, Nieves-Duran, Lourdes, Richardson-Harman, Nicola, Cummins, Jr, James E, Sanders-Beer, Brigitte E
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anti-infective agents
Citrus
Citrus limon
Dosage and administration
Drug therapy
Health aspects
HIV infection
Human immunodeficiency virus
Human immunodeficiency virus 1
Lactobacillus
Lemon juice
Prevention
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Summary:At present, there is no effective vaccine or other approved product for the prevention of sexually transmitted human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection. It has been reported that women in resource-poor communities use vaginally applied citrus juices as topical microbicides. These easily accessible food products have historically been applied to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and cytotoxicity of these substances using an established topical microbicide testing algorithm. Freshly squeezed lemon and lime juice and household vinegar were tested in their original state or in pH neutralized form for efficacy and cytotoxicity in the CCR5-tropic cell-free entry and cell-associated transmission assays, CXCR4-tropic entry and fusion assays, and in a human PBMC-based anti-HIV-1 assay. These products were also tested for their effect on viability of cervico-vaginal cell lines, human cervical explant tissues, and beneficial Lactobacillus species. Natural lime and lemon juice and household vinegar demonstrated anti-HIV-1 activity and cytotoxicity in transformed cell lines. Neutralization of the products reduced both anti-HIV-1 activity and cytotoxicity, resulting in a low therapeutic window for both acidic and neutralized formulations. For the natural juices and vinegar, the IC50 was
ISSN:1742-6405
1742-6405
DOI:10.1186/1742-6405-7-22