In Vitro Inhibitory Effect of Berberine Against Rotavirus

Abstract

Although berberine (BBR) is well known as a traditional medicine used in treatment of gastrointestinal diseases, its potent against viral gastroenteritis has not been specifically reported. This study aims to investigate the antiviral activity of BBR against rotavirus and evaluate its cytotoxicity and pharmacological efficacies, including antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory activities in vitro. Using ultraviolet‐visible absorption spectroscopy, the saturation concentration of BBR was determined as 2261 µg/mL, indicating that BBR is a poor water‐soluble compound. The inhibition rate of NO production of BBR solution at a concentration of 238 µg/mL was similar to that of Cardamonin 0.3 µM with a cell viability of 92,46±0.35%, revealing the anti‐inflammatory activity of BBR. The cytotoxicity of BBR solution depended on its concentration, whereby the 50% cytotoxicity concentration (CC50) of BBR after 96 h exposure was 664 µg/mL. Investigation of cytopathic effects (CPE) of MA104 cells treated with BBR and BBR‐incubated rotavirus indicates that BBR could effectively inhibit the replication of rotavirus. CPEs were not observed in the cells inoculated with rotavirus (100TCID50) which was pre‐incubated with BBR for 96 hours at BBR concentration of 283 µg/mL. Therefore, the study provides reliable results to demonstrate the ability of BBR to inhibit the replication of rotavirus.