Screening of Brazilian plants for antiviral activity against animal herpesviruses

In a screening of Brazilian plants, extracts from 27 species were assayed in vitro for antiviral activity against bovine and suid herpesviruses type 1. The plants considered promising as source of antiviral substances were those that presented viral inhibition index equal or more than 1.5 meaning a difference of viral titers between treated and untreated infected cells. Out of the 27 plants tested, extracts of Bumelia sertorum, Coffea arabica, Endopleura uchi, Leandra purpurescens, Psidium cattleianum and Uncaria tomentosa showed antiviral activity for both viruses. Extracts of Prunus myrtifolia and Symphyopappus compressus were active only against bovine herpesvirus while those of Bauhinia blakeana, Origanum vulgare, Ricinus communis and Tibouchina mutabilis inhibited only suid herpesvirus. Most of these plants are part of Brazilian folk medicine warranting the ethnopharmacology as an efficient strategy for selecting the plants for antiviral studies. Plants that presented activity against both animal herpesviruses are promising for further studies as antiviral components source.