In vivo evaluation of the antiviral activity of Cajanus cajan on measles virus

Arch Virol. 2011 Sep;156(9):1551-7. doi: 10.1007/s00705-011-1032-x. Epub 2011 May 26.

Abstract

Cajanus cajan, a tropical shrub, serves as source of food and traditional medicines. The evaluation of aqueous and ethanol extracts for activity against measles virus and toxicity to embryonated chicken eggs was carried out in this study. In vivo and in vitro assay techniques using embryonated chicken eggs and tissue culture (Hep-2 cell lines) as media for both virus cultivation and anti-virus assay showed that a hot-water extract yielded higher activity against measles virus. The hot-water extract of the stem yielded a Log(2) titre of 0.1 for the in vivo assay and an inhibition of cytopathic effect (CPE) in Hep-2 cells by 100% for the in vitro assay. At all concentrations of the extracts, there was a lowering of virus concentration (p = 0.05), indicated by hemagglutination (HA) titration, which is the advantage of HA titration over the tissue culture technique using CPE. This study validates embryonated chicken eggs as suitable media for anti-virus assay and the use of C. cajan in the treatment of some diseases of viral origin.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antiviral Agents / chemistry
  • Antiviral Agents / pharmacology*
  • Cajanus / chemistry*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Chick Embryo
  • Ethanol / chemistry
  • Humans
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Measles virus / drug effects*
  • Plant Extracts / chemistry
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology*
  • Plant Leaves / chemistry
  • Water / chemistry

Substances

  • Antiviral Agents
  • Plant Extracts
  • Water
  • Ethanol