Antiviral activity of extracts of basidiomycetes and humic compounds substances against Human Immunodeficiency Virus (Retroviridae: Orthoretrovirinae: Lentivirus: Human immunodeficiency virus 1) and Herpes Simplex Virus (Herpesviridae: Simplexvirus: Human alphaherpesvirus 1)

Abstract

Introduction. One of the most urgent problem of modern medicine is the fight against the disease caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) – HIV infection. The chemical compounds have improved the situation for infected people, but they are toxic, disrupt the metabolism and cannot eliminate the integrated virus from the body. The emergence of resistant HIV strains makes these treatments ineffective. Often, the death of HIV-infected people occurs as a result of the development of opportunistic infections caused by viruses of the Herpesviridae family. Therefore, the search for new therapeutic and preventive drugs that are less toxic and active against several viruses at the same time is relevant. Basidiomycetes, higher fungi, are a source of medicinal compounds that have antimicrobial properties, as well as antiviral ones. Humic compounds (HS) of various nature also have antiviral activity.The aim of the study was to obtain nontoxic compounds from the basidiomycete Inonotus obliquus and humic compounds from brown coals and to test their activity against viruses that are pathogenic to humans: HIV and Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV).Material and methods. The antiviral activity of melanin extracts obtained from the culture of the chaga fungus Inonotus obliquus and HS from the brown coal of the Kansko-Achinsk Deposit was studied using a model of MT-4 lymphoblastoid cells infected with HIV type 1 (HIV–1) strains and a monolayer culture of Vero cells infected with HSV type 1 (HSV-1) using virological and statistical research methods.Results and discussion. It was found that all the studied compounds did not have a cytotoxic effect on cells at a concentration of 100 mcg/ml. It was shown that extracts of basidiomycetes and HS have antiviral activity against HIV-1 and HSV-1. EC 50 (50%-effective concentration) for HIV-1 was 3.7–5.0 mcg/ml, selectivity index 28–35. Antiherpetic activity was detected at a dose of 50–100 mcg/ml. The antiviral effectiveness of melanin compounds was established both in the «preventive» (2 hours before cell infection) and in the «therapeutic» regimen of drug administration, both for HIV-1 and HSV-1. The presence of antiviral activity of melanin and HS in relation to the RNA-containing HIV-1 virus and DNA-containing HSV-1 virus in our study coincides with the results of a number of authors in relation to influenza viruses, herpes virus, HIV, hepatitis B virus, Coxsackievirus, smallpox vaccine virus, which suggests that the type of nucleic acid in the virus does not play a fundamental role in the antiviral action of these drugs. It is also clear that HS is effective against both enveloped and non-enveloped viruses.Conclusion. In general, it can be concluded that melanin and humic compounds are characterized by low toxicity in the presence of both virucidal and antiviral activity. This allows us to consider the studied compounds as the basis for creating safe medicines that are effective against pathogens of various viral infections.

Recent Developments in Inonotus obliquus (Chaga mushroom) Polysaccharides: Isolation, Structural Characteristics, Biological Activities and Application

“…[ [18][19][20][21][22][23][24] Polyphenol Antioxidant [25] Triterpenoid Anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antioxidant [26][27][28][29][30] Melanin Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, hypolipidemic and immunomodulatory [24,[31][32][33][34] Polysaccharides are natural biopolymers that all living organisms have. And the diversity in monosaccharide composition and structure causes them to have different biological activities [35].…”

Therapeutic properties of Inonotus obliquus (Chaga mushroom): A review

“…Extracts of I. obliquus also exhibit anti-herpetic activity on herpes simplex virus (HSV)-infected Vero cells (Polkovnikova et al 2014 ; Nosik et al 2020 ), which was found to be mediated by the prevention of HSV entry via action on viral glycoproteins, thus leading to prevention of viral-induced membrane fusion (Pan et al 2013 ). In addition, I. obliquus extracts have antiviral effects on human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in the lymphoblastoid cell culture MT-4 at concentrations of just 5.0 μg/mL, thus demonstrating its potent antiviral properties (Shibnev et al 2015 ; Nosik et al 2020 ).…”

Water Extract of the Chaga Medicinal Mushroom, Inonotus obliquus (Agaricomycetes), Inhibits SARS-CoV-2 Replication in Vero E6 and Vero Cell Culture Experiments

“…Water extracts from natural I. obliquus inhibit the replication of different strains of influenza virus, herpes virus types 1 and 2, West Nile virus, immunodeficiency virus type 1, and some orthopoxviruses, including variola virus. [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20] Natural substances of I. obliquus contain a very wide range of different compounds that are formed in the close interaction of birch and mushroom. 21 These are pigments that form a chromogenic polyphenol-carboxylic complex exhibiting antitumor activity caused by the fact that phenolic compounds regulate the activity of cytoplasmic and mitochondrial ATPases and reduce the formation of ADP.…”