Inhibition of herpes simplex virus type 1 reproduction by probiotic bacteria in vitro.

: Light and immunofluorescence microscopies were used to study the cytopathic effect of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) grown on the Vero cell cultures in the absence or presence of supernatants of Enterococcus faecium L3, Lactobacillus plantarum 8A-P3, and Escherichia coil M17. The effect of the probiotic strains was evaluated estimating the proportion of changed cells and the infective dose of the virus. The supernatants of the cultures of Lactobacillus sp. and Enterococcus sp., unlike those of E. coil, have antiviral activity. Inhibited viral replication was more evident when the supernatants were added until the cultured HSV-1 cells were infective. An enterococcal supernatant and its obtained peptide extract showed the maximum antiviral activity. This strain may be associated with the production of bacteriocins and bacteriocin-like substances.