The study of natural compounds’ impact on viral viability is essential for developing sustainable alternatives to synthetic chemicals. Molecules produced by cyanobacteria, such as Climacostomum virens and Arthrospira platensis, could be useful for this aim. C. virens produces a toxin called climacostol, which has demonstrated biological activity against bacterial and fungal pathogens, protozoa, human and animal cell, and isolated mitochondria. A. platensis, on the other hand, produces polysaccharides (SPPs) with antiviral activities against enveloped viruses. This study separately evaluated in vitro the effects of climacostol and SPPs on Human Adenovirus 5 (HAdV5), highly stable pathogenic virus known for persistence in environment and resistance to disinfection. Various viral titers of HAdV5 were exposed to a concentration of 2·10³ μg/ml of climacostol, resulted to toxic for cell culture, for 30 minutes. The results showed a 99.9% reduction in viral titer, indicating high sensitivity of HAdV5. For SPPs the no toxic concentration of 84.37 μg/ml was tested at 15, 30, 60 minutes, resulting in an average titer reduction of 98%-99%, independent of contact time. These preliminary data suggest that climacostol and SPPs have significant antiviral properties, necessitating further investigations into their mechanisms of action.
STUDY OF THE VIRUCIDAL EFFECTS OF MICROALGAE-EXTRACTED POLYSACCHARIDES AND MOLECULES PRODUCED BY AQUATIC CILIATES
Alessandra Pagani;Marco Verani;Ileana Federigi;Graziano Di Giuseppe;Clementina Manera;Paola Nieri;Annalaura Carducci
2024-01-01
Abstract
The study of natural compounds’ impact on viral viability is essential for developing sustainable alternatives to synthetic chemicals. Molecules produced by cyanobacteria, such as Climacostomum virens and Arthrospira platensis, could be useful for this aim. C. virens produces a toxin called climacostol, which has demonstrated biological activity against bacterial and fungal pathogens, protozoa, human and animal cell, and isolated mitochondria. A. platensis, on the other hand, produces polysaccharides (SPPs) with antiviral activities against enveloped viruses. This study separately evaluated in vitro the effects of climacostol and SPPs on Human Adenovirus 5 (HAdV5), highly stable pathogenic virus known for persistence in environment and resistance to disinfection. Various viral titers of HAdV5 were exposed to a concentration of 2·10³ μg/ml of climacostol, resulted to toxic for cell culture, for 30 minutes. The results showed a 99.9% reduction in viral titer, indicating high sensitivity of HAdV5. For SPPs the no toxic concentration of 84.37 μg/ml was tested at 15, 30, 60 minutes, resulting in an average titer reduction of 98%-99%, independent of contact time. These preliminary data suggest that climacostol and SPPs have significant antiviral properties, necessitating further investigations into their mechanisms of action.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
