The antiviral effect of Embelin on Herpes Simplex Virus type-1 in VERO cultured cells

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is a linear double stranded DNA virus that is responsible for one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases within the United States. However, treatment drugs for HSV could be costly and may have side effects. In recent years the number of cases of drug resistant HSV has increased, resulting in interest for novel treatments. This study aimed to investigate the antiviral effect of the reagent Embelin on HSV type 1 infection in cultured Vero Cells. Embelin is a benzoquinone isolated from the plant Embelia ribes and its antiviral properties have yet to be determined. Cell viability and cell proliferation assays were conducted to determine the maximum noncytotoxic concentration of Embelin. Additional assays were conducted to measure cell proliferation and antiviral effect. The results of this study suggest that Embelin indeed inhibits HSV-1 with best viral inhibition between 50 μM and 54 μM. Also, Embelin seems to inhibit the virus best at the binding stage of the viral cycle