Extract from Aphloia theiformis, an edible indigenous plant from Reunion Island, impairs Zika virus attachment to the host cell surface

Sci Rep. 2018 Jul 18;8(1):10856. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-29183-2. . Clain E1, Sinigaglia L2, Koishi AC3, Gorgette O4, Gadea G1, Viranaicken W1, Krejbich-Trotot P1, Mavingui P1, Desprès P1, Nunes Duarte Dos Santos C3, Guiraud P1, Jouvenet N2, El Kalamouni C5. Author information 1 Université de La Réunion, UM134 Processus Infectieux Insulaire Tropical (PIMIT), INSERM U1187, CNRS UMR 9192, IRD UMR 249, Plateforme Technologique CYROI, 97490, Sainte, Clotilde, France. 2 UMR CNRS 3569, Viral Genomics and Vaccination Unit, Pasteur Institute, 75724, Paris, France. 3 Laboratorio de Virologia Molecular, Instituto Carlos Chagas, ICC/FIOCRUZ/PR, Curitiba, Parana, Brazil. 4 Ultrastructural BioImaging (UTechsUBI), Pasteur Institute, 75724, Paris, France. 5 Université de La Réunion, UM134 Processus Infectieux Insulaire Tropical (PIMIT), INSERM U1187, CNRS UMR 9192, IRD UMR 249, Plateforme Technologique CYROI, 97490, Sainte, Clotilde, France. chaker.el-kalamouni@univ-reunion.fr. Abstract The mosquito-borne Zika virus (ZIKV) belongs to the flavivirus genus of the Flaviviridae family. Contemporary epidemic strains of ZIKV are associated with congenital malformations in infants, including microcephaly, as well as Guillain-Barré syndrome in adults. A risk of human-to-human transmission of ZIKV is also well documented. A worldwide research effort has been undertaken to identify safe and effective strategies to prevent or treat ZIKV infection. We show here that extract from Aphloia theiformis, an edible endemic plant from Indian Ocean islands, exerts a potent antiviral effect against ZIKV strains of African and Asian lineages, including epidemic strains. The antiviral effect of A. theiformis extract was extended to clinical isolates of dengue virus (DENV) of the four serotypes in human hepatocytes. A. theiformis inhibited virus entry in host cells by acting directly on viral particles, thus impairing their attachment to the cell surface. Electron microscopic observations revealed that organization of ZIKV particles was severely affected by A. theiformis. We propose a model of antiviral action for A. theiformis against flaviviruses that highlights the potential of medicinal plants as promising sources of naturally-derived antiviral compounds to prevent ZIKV and DENV infections. PMID: 30022045 PMCID: PMC6052117 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-29183-2 Free PMC Article