Inhibition of varicella-zoster virus replication by an ethanol extract of Lysimachia mauritiana

Abstract

Varicella-zoster virus (VZV), a ubiquitous human a-herpesvirus, is the causative agent of chickenpox and shingles. In the present study, we investigated the antiviral activity of a 70% ethanol extract of Lysimachia mauritiana (LME) against VZV. LME strongly interfered with the replication of both laboratory and clinical strains of VZV without affecting the viability of MRC-5 cells. Moreover, LME treatment suppressed the expression of an essential viral transactivator, immediate-early 62 protein (IE62), in addition to other lytic genes in the later phases of viral replication. The finding that LME exerts potent inhibitory effects on VZV gene expression and replication supports its potential utility as a therapeutic anti-viral agent.