Potent Virucidal Activity In Vitro of Photodynamic Therapy with <i>Hypericum</i> Extract as Photosensitizer and White Light against Human Coronavirus HCoV-229E
Beatriz Praena,
Marta Mascaraque,
Sabina Andreu,
Raquel Bello-Morales,
Edgar Abarca-Lachen,
Valentina Rapozzi,
Yolanda Gilaberte,
Salvador González,
José Antonio López-Guerrero,
Ángeles Juarranz
Affiliations
Beatriz Praena
Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Edificio de Biología, Darwin 2, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
Marta Mascaraque
Departamento de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Edificio de Biología, Darwin 2, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
Sabina Andreu
Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Edificio de Biología, Darwin 2, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
Raquel Bello-Morales
Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Edificio de Biología, Darwin 2, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
Edgar Abarca-Lachen
Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad San Jorge, 50830 Villanueva de Gállego, Spain
Valentina Rapozzi
Department of Medicine, University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy
Yolanda Gilaberte
Hospital Miguel Servet, Servicio de Dermatología, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
Salvador González
Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigaciones Sanitarias, IRYCIS, 28040 Madrid, Spain
José Antonio López-Guerrero
Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Edificio de Biología, Darwin 2, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
Ángeles Juarranz
Departamento de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Edificio de Biología, Darwin 2, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
The emergent human coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and its high infectivity rate has highlighted the strong need for new virucidal treatments. In this sense, the use of photodynamic therapy (PDT) with white light, to take advantage of the sunlight, is a potent strategy for decreasing the virulence and pathogenicity of the virus. Here, we report the virucidal effect of PDT based on Hypericum extract (HE) in combination with white light, which exhibits an inhibitory activity of the human coronavirus HCoV-229E on hepatocarcinoma Huh-7 cells. Moreover, despite continuous exposure to white light, HE has long durability, being able to maintain the prevention of viral infection. Given its potent in vitro virucidal capacity, we propose HE in combination with white light as a promising candidate to fight against SARS-CoV-2 as a virucidal compound.
