Bufotenine, an alkaloid that can be found in plant extracts and skin secretions of amphibians, is reported to have potential antiviral activity. The present study evaluated the antiviral activity of bufotenine against different genetic lineages of rabies virus (RABV, a single-stranded, negative-sense RNA virus), canine coronavirus (CCoV, a positive-sense RNA virus) and two double-stranded DNA viruses (two strains of herpes simplex virus type 1/HSV-1 [KOS and the acyclovir-resistant HSV-1 strain 29R] and canine adenovirus 2, CAV-2). The maximal non-toxic bufotenine concentrations in Vero and BHK-21 cells were determined by MTT assays. The antiviral activity of bufotenine against each virus was assessed by examination of reductions in infectious virus titres and plaque assays. All experiments were performed with and without bufotenine, and the results were compared. Bufotenine demonstrated significant RABV inhibitory activity. No antiviral action was observed against CCoV, CAV-2 or HSV-1. These findings indicate that the antiviral activity of bufotenine is somewhat linked to the particular infectious dose used and the genetic lineage of the virus, although the mechanisms of its effects remain undetermined.

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Bats belong to the second-largest order in a number of species diversity within the Mammalia class, containing 21 families and more than 1300 species. It is estimated that more than 200 viruses from 28 families have been isolated or detected in 37 different bat genera, many of them related to emerging infectious diseases with the potential to cross species barriers and infect other animals. The group of coronaviruses (CoV) is one of these viruses, which includes CoVs that can cause serious diseases in humans and animals, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED), swine acute diarrheal syndrome (SADS) and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Some of the human and animal coronaviruses appear to be originated from bats. With the advent of new generation molecular techniques and increased surveillance of wild animal species, many new coronaviruses have been identified. The coronaviruses belong to the Nidovirales order and Coronaviridae family. The subfamily Coronavirinae is divided into four genera, Alphacoronavirus (alphaCoV), Betacoronavirus (betaCoV), Deltacoronavirus, and Gammacoronavirus. Since the first report of coronavirus in a Miniopterus pusillus bat, the coronavirus occurrence in a bats population of different regions in the world has been studied and, until now, both alphaCoV and betaCoV have been detected. The aim of this study was to perform a literature review regarding the detection of coronavirus (alphaCoV or betaCoV) in different bat species around the world and their immune response against coronavirus. This review reinforces the importance of these animals as hosts, reservoirs, or sources of viruses, including emerging viruses.