Evaluation of the Therapeutic Potential of Traditionally-Used Natural Plant Extracts to Inhibit Proliferation of a HeLa Cell Cancer Line and Replication of Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus (hRSV)
Ellie N. Brill,
Natalie G. Link,
Morgan R. Jackson,
Alea F. Alvi,
Jacob N. Moehlenkamp,
Morgan B. Beard,
Adam R. Simons,
Linden C. Carson,
Ray Li,
Breckin T. Judd,
Max N. Brasseale,
Emily P. Berkman,
Riley K. Park,
Sedna Cordova-Hernandez,
Rebecca Y. Hoff,
Caroline E. Yager,
Meredith C. Modelski,
Milica Nenadovich,
Dhruvi Sisodia,
Clayton J. Reames,
Andreas G. Geranios,
Sean T. Berthrong,
Anne M. Wilson,
Ashlee H. Tietje,
Christopher C. Stobart
Affiliations
Ellie N. Brill
Department of Biological Sciences, Butler University, 4600 Sunset Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46208, USA
Natalie G. Link
Department of Biological Sciences, Butler University, 4600 Sunset Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46208, USA
Morgan R. Jackson
Department of Biological Sciences, Butler University, 4600 Sunset Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46208, USA
Alea F. Alvi
Department of Biological Sciences, Butler University, 4600 Sunset Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46208, USA
Jacob N. Moehlenkamp
Department of Biological Sciences, Butler University, 4600 Sunset Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46208, USA
Morgan B. Beard
Department of Biological Sciences, Butler University, 4600 Sunset Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46208, USA
Adam R. Simons
Department of Biological Sciences, Butler University, 4600 Sunset Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46208, USA
Linden C. Carson
Department of Biological Sciences, Butler University, 4600 Sunset Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46208, USA
Ray Li
Department of Biological Sciences, Butler University, 4600 Sunset Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46208, USA
Breckin T. Judd
Department of Biological Sciences, Butler University, 4600 Sunset Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46208, USA
Max N. Brasseale
Department of Biological Sciences, Butler University, 4600 Sunset Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46208, USA
Emily P. Berkman
Department of Biological Sciences, Butler University, 4600 Sunset Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46208, USA
Riley K. Park
Department of Biological Sciences, Butler University, 4600 Sunset Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46208, USA
Sedna Cordova-Hernandez
Department of Biological Sciences, Butler University, 4600 Sunset Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46208, USA
Rebecca Y. Hoff
Department of Biological Sciences, Butler University, 4600 Sunset Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46208, USA
Caroline E. Yager
Department of Biological Sciences, Butler University, 4600 Sunset Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46208, USA
Meredith C. Modelski
Department of Biological Sciences, Butler University, 4600 Sunset Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46208, USA
Milica Nenadovich
Department of Biological Sciences, Butler University, 4600 Sunset Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46208, USA
Dhruvi Sisodia
Department of Biological Sciences, Butler University, 4600 Sunset Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46208, USA
Clayton J. Reames
Department of Biological Sciences, Butler University, 4600 Sunset Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46208, USA
Andreas G. Geranios
Department of Biological Sciences, Butler University, 4600 Sunset Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46208, USA
Sean T. Berthrong
Department of Biological Sciences, Butler University, 4600 Sunset Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46208, USA
Anne M. Wilson
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Butler University, 4600 Sunset Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46208, USA
Ashlee H. Tietje
Department of Biological Sciences, Butler University, 4600 Sunset Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46208, USA
Christopher C. Stobart
Department of Biological Sciences, Butler University, 4600 Sunset Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46208, USA
Traditional approaches employing natural plant products to treat a wide array of ailments have been documented and described for thousands of years. However, there remains limited scientific study of the therapeutic potential or effectiveness of ethnobotanical applications. Increases in the incidence of cancer and emerging infectious diseases demonstrate a growing need for advances in the development of therapeutic options. In this study, we evaluate the therapeutic potential of aqueous extracts prepared from four plants, purple aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (L.) Nemsom), common sage (Salvia lyrata (L.)), northern spicebush (Lindera benzoin (L.) Blume), and lamb’s ear (Stachys byzantina (K.) Koch)) traditionally used in Native American medicine in Indiana, USA. Using a combination of cytotoxicity assays, immunofluorescence microscopy, and antiviral assays, we found that sage and spicebush extracts exhibit cytotoxic and antiproliferative effects on HeLa cell proliferation and that sage, spicebush, and aster extracts were capable of significantly inhibiting human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV), a major respiratory pathogen of infants and the elderly. Chemical analysis of the four extracts identified four major compounds which were subsequently evaluated to identify the responsible constituents in the extracts. While none of the identified compounds were shown to induce significant impacts on HeLa cell proliferation, two of the compounds, (1S)-(-)-Borneol and 5-(hydroxymethyl)-furfural, identified in sage and spicebush, respectively, were shown to have antiviral activities. Our data suggest that several of the extracts tested exhibited either anti-proliferative or antiviral activity supporting future further analysis.
