Potential antiviral and immunomodulatory activity of Amazonian medicinal plant compounds

Novel antiretroviral drugs are constantly needed for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients to confront the continuously emerging resistance to the commonly prescribed combination of anti-HIV synthetic agents and their side effects. Amazonian medicinal plants, Licania macrophylla (LM) (Chrysobalanaceae) and Ouratea hexasperma (OH) (Ochnaceae), were assayed for antiretroviral and immunomodulatory activity, by utilizing an established human leukocyte cell line and the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV). Interleukin (IL)-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and interferon-gamma were quantified after leukocyte culture was stimulated with ethanolic plant extracts and subsequently challenged with lentivirus infection. Mitotic activity induced by OH extract was significantly more pronounced than that of LM extract. Cytokine modulation was observed in SIV-infected cells under independent treatment with OH and LM extracts. Betulinic acid, niruriflavone, (-)-epigallocatechin, (-)-gallocatechin, and 4’-O-methyl-epigallocatechin were isolated from LM. In summary, the tested extracts hold application potential in the therapy of HIV/AIDS pathology by regulating cellular proliferative activity and cytokine levels, as the isolated compounds from these plants have been reported to exhibit antiviral activity.