Novel antiviral activity of baicalein against dengue virus

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Keivan Zandi, Emory University; Boon-Teong Teoh, University Malaya; Sing-Sin Sam, University Malaya; Pooi-Fong Wong, University Malaya; Mohd Rais Mustafa, University Malaya; Sazaly AbuBakar, University Malaya
• Language: English
• Date: 2012-11-09
• Publisher: BioMed Central
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2012 Zandi et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1472-6882-12-214
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine
• ISSN: 1472-6882
• Volume: 12
• Issue: 1
• Start Page: 214
• End Page: 214
• Grant/Funding Information: We also appreciate the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation of Malaysia for Malaysia Genome Institute initiative grant 07-05-MGI-GMB015, and University of Malaya for financial support.; We thank the Ministry of Higher Education for Long-Range Grant Scheme (LRGS) LR001/2011A.
• Keywords: IN-VITRO; TYPE-2; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; RNA-POLYMERASES; Dengue; Flavonoid; Antiviral; SEROTYPE; Infectious disease; Baicalein; Science & Technology; Flavivirus; REPLICATION; NARINGENIN; CELL-LINES; REVERSE-TRANSCRIPTASE; FLAVONOIDS; ANTIOXIDANT; Integrative & Complementary Medicine
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Pharmacology; Health Sciences, Epidemiology

Abstract

Background: Dengue is a serious arboviral disease currently with no effective antiviral therapy or approved vaccine available. Therefore, finding the effective compound against dengue virus (DENV) replication is very important. Among the natural compounds, bioflavonoids derived mainly from plants are of interest because of their biological and medicinal benefits.Methods: In the present study, antiviral activity of a bioflavonoid, baicalein, was evaluated against different stages of dengue virus type 2 (DENV-2) replication in Vero cells using focus forming unit reduction assay and quantitative RT-PCR.Results: Baicalein inhibited DENV-2 replication in Vero cells with IC50= 6.46 μg/mL and SI= 17.8 when added after adsorption to the cells. The IC50 against DENV-2 was 5.39 μg/mL and SI= 21.3 when cells were treated 5 hours before virus infection and continuously up to 4 days post infection. Baicalein exhibited direct virucidal effect against DENV-2 with IC 50= 1.55 μg/mL and showed anti-adsorption effect with IC50 = 7.14 μg/mL.Conclusions: Findings presented here suggest that baicalein exerts potent antiviral activity against DENV. Baicalein possesses direct virucidal activity against DENV besides its effects against dengue virus adsorption and intracellular replication of DENV-2. Baicalein, hence, should be considered for in vivo evaluation in the development of an effective antiviral compound against DENV.