Anticytomegalovirus Activity of Pristimerin, a Triterpenoid Quinone Methide Isolated from Maytenus Heterophylla (Eckl. & Zeyh.)

• Published in: Antiviral chemistry & chemotherapy 2007-06, Vol.18 (3), p.133-139
• Main Authors: Murayama, Tsugiya, Eizuru, Yoshito, Yamada, Rie, Sadanari, Hidetaka, Matsubara, Keiko, Rukung, Geoffrey, Tolo, Festus M, Mungai, Geoffrey M, Kofi-Tsekpo, Mawuli
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antibiotics. Antiinfectious agents. Antiparasitic agents; Antiviral agents; Antiviral Agents - chemistry; Antiviral Agents - isolation & purification; Antiviral Agents - pharmacology; Biological and medical sciences; Blotting, Western; Cell Line; Cytomegalovirus - drug effects; Cytopathogenic Effect, Viral - drug effects; DNA biosynthesis; DNA, Viral - biosynthesis; Embryo fibroblasts; Embryos; Fibroblasts - drug effects; Humans; IE2 protein; Immediate-Early Proteins - biosynthesis; Inhibitory Concentration 50; Maytenus; Maytenus - chemistry; Medical sciences; Medicinal plants; Pentacyclic Triterpenes; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Phenols - isolation & purification; Phenols - pharmacology; Quinones; Replication; Trans-Activators - biosynthesis; Triterpenes - chemistry; Triterpenes - isolation & purification; Triterpenes - pharmacology; Triterpenes - toxicity; Viral Plaque Assay; Virus Replication - drug effects
• ISSN: 2040-2066; 0956-3202; 2040-2066
• DOI: 10.1177/095632020701800303

We examined the anticytomegalovirus properties of four compounds: pristimerin, the pristimerin analogue, lupeol and 2-acetylphenol-1-β-D-glucopyranosyl (1→6)-β-D-xylpyranoside (acetophenol glycoside), isolated from Maytenus heterophylla, a Kenyan medicinal plant. The effects were studied on human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) replication in the human embryonic fibroblast cell line, MRC-5. In a viral plaque-reduction assay, pristimerin showed dose-dependent inhibitory properties with a 50% inhibitory concentration of 0.53 µg/ml (selective index=27.9). The cells treated with pristimerin inhibited the cytopathic effects in HCMV-infected cells. Moreover, pristimerin suppressed viral replication without affecting the cell growth. Pristimerin inhibited the synthesis of viral DNA but had no virucidal effect on cell-free HCMV. Furthermore, Western blot analysis demonstrated that pristimerin decreased the amount of immediate early (IE) antigen (especially IE2) expression in the infected cells. These results suggest that pristimerin is a unique compound with potential anti-HCMV activity.