Anti-HIV-1 integrase activity of medicinal plants used as self medication by AIDS patients

Abstract

The extracts of selected medicinal plants used as self medication by AIDS patients were investigated for their inhibitory activities against HIV-1 integrase (HIV-1 IN) using the multiplate integration assay (MIA). Of these, the water extract of Eclipta prostrata (whole plant) exhibited the most potent inhibitory activity with an IC50 value of 4.8 μg/ml, followed by the methanol extract of Eclipta prostrata (whole plant, IC50 = 21.1 μg/ ml), the water extract of Barleria lupulina (stem, IC50 = 26.4 μg/ml), the chloroform extract of Barleria lupulina (stem, IC50 = 33.0 μg/ml), the methanol extract of Barleria lupulina (stem, IC50 = 38.2 μg/ml) and the chloroform extract of Piper betle (leaf, IC50 = 39.3 μg/ml), respectively.

Keywords

• HIV-1 integrase
• self medication
• AIDS patients