ANTIVIRAL COMPOSITION
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a composition comprising an extract of the plant
Ficus arnottiana having an antiviral activity. The invention also relates to a process
for the preparation of the composition. The invention further relates to the
composition for use in the treatment of viral infections, particularly those caused by
herpes simplex viruses (HSV).
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Viruses are the etiological cause of many life-threatening or life impairing human
diseases. Of special concern are herpes viruses such as herpes simplex virus type 1
(HSV-1), herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein-Barr
virus (EBV), varicella zoster virus (VZV), and human herpes viruses 6, 7 and 8
(HHV-6, HHV-7 and HHV-8) and the like.
Herpes simplex is a viral disease caused by herpes simplex viruses (HSV). HSV-1 is
commonly associated with facial herpes known as cold sores or fever blisters. HSV-1
infection generally occurs in the oropharyngeal mucosa wherein the trigeminal
ganglion becomes colonized and harbors latent virus. HSV-2 is more often
associated with genital herpes. HSV-2 usually spreads sexually and occurs in the
anus, rectum, upper alimentary canal as well as the genital area with seeding of the
sacral ganglia. Depending on the regions of contact both viruses may conversely
infect either the oral or genital mucosa. These viruses have the capacity to invade
and replicate in the central nervous system and establish a latent infection in dorsal
root ganglia.
Diseases caused by HSV may become life threatening in immunocompromised
patients, especially human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients. After
primary infection, HSV persists in the host for the latter's entire lifetime, thus HSV
infection is considered as a lifelong infection (The Journal of Infectious Diseases,
2002, 186, S71-S77).
Several antivirals that are being used for treating herpes include acyclovir,
valacyclovir, famciclovir and penciclovir. Among the listed antiviral agents, acyclovir
is used for the treatment of viral infections caused by HSV-1 and HSV-2.
Ficus arnottiana, widely distributed in India and Sri Lanka, is medium sized
deciduous tree without aerial roots. The plant is useful against skin diseases,
inflammation, diarrhea, diabetes, burning sensation, leprosy, scabies, and wounds
as per the traditional Ayurvedic System of Medicine (Natural Product Radiance,
2009, 8 (5), 478-482).
There continues to be a need for effective compositions and methods for the
prevention and treatment of viral infections, particularly herpes infections. The
incidence and severity of herpes infections have increased due to increase in the
number of immunocompromised patients produced by aggressive chemotherapy
regimens, expanded organ transplantation and the rising incidence of HIV infections.
To our knowledge, there is no report of any medicament containing extract of the
plant Ficus arnottiana for treatment of viral infections.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
FIGURE I shows chromatogram of sample 23 of Example 4 analyzed by HPLC. The
chromatogram shows two bioactive marker (BM) peaks namely BM-1 and BM-2.
FIGURE II shows chromatogram of Formulation IB of Example 6 analyzed by HPLC.
The chromatogram shows two bioactive marker (BM) peaks namely BM-1 and BM-2.
FIGURE III depicts inhibitory activity of sample 23 of Example 4 against HSV-1 prior
to infection in comparison with the inhibitory activity of acyclovir.
FIGURE IV depicts inhibitory activity of sample 23 of Example 4 against HSV-2 prior
to infection in comparison with the inhibitory activity of acyclovir.
FIGURE V depicts inhibitory effect of sample 23 of Example 4 on HSV-1 adsorption
in comparison with the inhibitory effect of acyclovir.
FIGURE VI depicts inhibitory effect of sample 23 of Example 4 on HSV-2 adsorption
in comparison with the inhibitory effect of acyclovir.
FIGURE VII depicts inhibitory activity of sample 23 of Example 4 against HSV-1
penetration in comparison with the inhibitory activity of acyclovir.
FIGURE VIII depicts inhibitory activity of sample 23 of Example 4 against HSV-2
penetration in comparison with the inhibitory activity of acyclovir.
FIGURE IX depicts virucidal effect of sample 23 of Example 4 against HSV-1 in
comparison with the virucidal effect of acyclovir.
FIGURE X depicts virucidal effect of sample 23 of Example 4 against HSV-2 in
comparison with the virucidal effect of acyclovir.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a composition comprising a therapeutically effective
amount of an isolated extract of the plant Ficus arnottiana in combination with a
pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
The invention also relates to a process for the preparation of the extract of the plant
Ficus arnottiana and the composition containing the isolated extract as the active
ingredient.
The invention also relates to the antiviral activity of the composition.
In an aspect of the invention, the antiviral activity of the composition is anti-HSV
activity. In an aspect, the invention relates to a composition comprising a
therapeutically effective amount of an isolated extract of the plant Ficus arnottiana
and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier; for use in the prevention and treatment of
a viral infection caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV).
The invention further relates to a method of treating a viral infection caused by
herpes simplex virus (HSV) in a subject comprising administering to the subject a
composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount of an isolated extract of
the plant Ficus arnottiana in combination with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
The invention also relates to the composition comprising a therapeutically effective
amount of an isolated extract of the plant Ficus arnottiana and a pharmaceutically
acceptable carrier for use in the prevention of viral infection with the use of condoms
or other barrier devices.
The invention includes the composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount
of an isolated extract of the plant Ficus arnottiana in combination with a
pharmaceutically acceptable carrier for use in the prevention and treatment of viral
infections caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV).
The invention also includes the use of the isolated extract of the plant Ficus
arnottiana for the manufacture of a medicament for the treatment of viral infection
caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV).
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Before describing the present invention in detail, it has to be understood that this
invention is not limited to particular embodiments. It is also to be understood that the
terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments
only, and is not intended to be limiting.
As used in the specification and claims, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" include
plural references unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the
same meaning as commonly understood by one of the ordinary skill in the art to
which the invention belongs.
The term "treating", "treat" or "treatment" as used herein includes preventive
(prophylactic) and palliative treatment.
The term "Ficus arnottiana" also includes the synonyms such as "Ficus populifolia",
"Urostigma arnottianum" or "Urostigma cordifolium".
"Extract" or "isolated extract" mentioned herein means a blend of compounds
present in the plant or fractions obtained from the plant Ficus arnottiana. Such
compounds or fractions are obtained by extraction of ground whole plant or parts of
the plant Ficus arnottiana such as stem (stem with bark), stem without bark, bark
and twigs using appropriate solvents and the step of extraction is optionally followed
by further enrichment. The terms "extract" and "isolated extract" may be used
interchangeably.
"Antiviral drugs" mentioned herein refers to a class of therapeutic agents used
specifically for treating viral infections, particularly those caused by herpes simplex
viruses such as herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), herpes simplex virus type 2
(HSV-2), cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), varicella zoster virus
(VZV), and human herpes viruses 6, 7 and 8 (HHV-6, HHV-7 and HHV-8) and the
like.
"Composition" mentioned herein refers to an herbal composition or a pharmaceutical
composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount of an extract or the
isolated extract of the plant Ficus arnottiana in combination with a pharmaceutically
acceptable carrier. It should be noted that the term "composition" should be
construed in a broad sense and includes any composition which is intended for the
purpose of achieving a therapeutic effect whether sold as a pharmaceutical product,
for example carrying a label as to the intended indication, whether sold over the
counter, or whether sold as a phytopharmaceutical.
As used herein, the term "therapeutically effective amount" means an amount of the
extract of the plant Ficus arnottiana that yields a desired therapeutic response such
as, alleviating, treating and/or preventing the viral infection or the symptoms of skin
lesions, sores, cold sores, blisters, warts, lumps, bumps, pimples, rashes and ulcers
associated with or caused by a viral infection, particularly caused by HSV-1 or HSV-
2.
By "pharmaceutically acceptable" it is meant the carrier, diluent, excipients, and/or
salt must be compatible with the other ingredients contained in the formulation, and
not deleterious to the recipient thereof.
As used herein, the term "pharmaceutically acceptable carrier" means a non-toxic,
inert solid, semi-solid, diluent such as water, encapsulating material or formulation
auxiliary of any type. Some non-limiting examples of materials which can serve as
pharmaceutically acceptable carriers are sugars such as lactose, glucose and
sucrose; starches such as corn starch and potato starch; cellulose and its derivatives
such as sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose and cellulose acetate; malt;
gelatin; talc; as well as other non-toxic compatible lubricants such as sodium lauryl
sulfate and magnesium stearate; as well as coloring agents; releasing agents;
coating agents; sweetening, flavoring and perfuming agents; preservatives such as
phenolip, methyl paraben, butyl paraben and propyl paraben; antioxidants; oils or
waxes such as beeswax, carmauba wax, hard wax, yellow wax and cetyl esters;
emulsifiers such as glyceryl monostearate; petrolatums such as paraffin, lanolin
alcohols, white petrolatum, yellow petrolatum, wool alcohols, petroleum jelly and
petroleum wax; glycols such as propylene glycol, methyl glycol and methyl ethylene
glycol; carbomers such as carpopol 974P; poly oxy ethylene alkyl ethers such as
cetosteryl alcohol; plasticizers such as triethanolamine; solvents and hydrophilic
gelling agents can also be present in the composition, according to the judgment of
the formulator.
The term "bioactive marker" used herein refers to biologically active chemical
compounds which are present in the extract of the whole plant or parts of the plant
Ficus arnottiana such as stem (stem with bark), stem without bark, bark and twigs.
The bioactive markers isolated from the extract of the stem of the plant Ficus
arnottiana exhibit antiviral activity.
The term "subject" as used herein refers to an animal, particularly a mammal, and
more particularly a human. The term "mammal" used herein refers to warm-blooded
vertebrate animals of the class Mammalian, including humans, characterized by a
covering of hair on the skin and, in the female, milk-producing mammary glands for
nourishing the young. The term mammal includes animals such as cat, dog, rabbit,
bear, fox, wolf, monkey, deer, mouse, pig and the human.
The plant, Ficus arnottiana is a commonly distributed species in India and Sri Lanka.
The whole plant of the species or parts of the plant such as stem, stem without bark,
bark and twigs were collected from various locations in and around Maharashtra,
India such as Belgaum, Kolhapur, Goa. The freshly collected plants or parts of the
plant were dried. For taxonomic characterization, herbarium specimens in flowering
and fruiting were collected and deposited in the departmental herbarium of Piramal
Healthcare Limited (Formerly Piramal Life Sciences Limited), Goregaon, Mumbai,
India. Based on morphological characters, the herbarium specimen was identified as
Ficus arnottiana. The extracts obtained and used in this invention are not limited to
those obtained from Ficus arnottiana plants grown in Maharashtra, India and the
extract may be obtained from any Ficus arnottiana plant grown in other regions.
The present invention relates to an isolated extract from the whole plant or one or
more parts of the plant Ficus arnottiana prepared by stirring ground whole plant or
one or more parts of the plant in a solvent; followed by concentrating the resulting
extract; and optionally enriching the extract by solvent partitioning. Plant parts that
can be used include stem with bark, stem without bark, bark, leaves, twigs, roots,
flowers, inflorescence, seeds and fruits. It is preferred that the plant parts used are
selected from stem (stem with bark), stem without bark, bark and twigs.
The present invention further relates to a composition comprising a therapeutically
effective amount of an isolated extract of the whole plant or one or more parts of the
plant, Ficus arnottiana in combination with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
The invention also relates to a process for the preparation of the extract of the plant
Ficus arnottiana and the composition containing the extract as the active ingredient.
The process for the preparation of the composition includes the following steps:
(a) preparing an extract from the ground whole plant or one or more parts of the
plant Ficus arnottiana by stirring in a solvent in a ratio of 1:8 to 1: 1 0
weight/volume for 3 hours to 12 hours at 30 °C to 50 °C;
(b) concentrating the extract obtained in step (a);
(c) optionally drying the extract obtained in step (b) under high vacuum (0.01 -5
mm Hg);
(d) optionally enriching the extract obtained in step (b) or step (c) by solvent
partitioning; and
(e) mixing the extract obtained in step (b), step (c) or step (d) with a
pharmaceutically acceptable carrier to obtain the composition.
In an aspect of the invention the extract obtained in step (b), step (c) or step (d) may
be used without a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
In another aspect of the invention the plant parts are selected from stems, bark,
stems without bark and twigs.
In an embodiment, the composition of the present invention comprises extract of the
stem of the plant Ficus arnottiana. Accordingly, there is provided a process for the
preparation of the composition comprising extract of the stem of the plant Ficus
arnottiana and includes the following steps:
(a) preparing an extract from the stem of the plant Ficus arnottiana by stirring in a
solvent in a ratio of 1:8 to 1:1 0 weight/volume for 3 hours to 12 hours at 30°
to 50 ;
(b) concentrating the extract obtained in step (a);
(c) optionally drying the extract obtained in step (b) under high vacuum (0.01 -5
mm Hg);
(d) optionally enriching the extract obtained in step (b) or step (c) by solvent
partitioning; and
(e) mixing the extract obtained in step (b), step (c) or step (d) with a
pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and formulating into therapeutic dosage
forms.
In an aspect of the invention the extract obtained in step (b), step (c) or step (d) may
be used without a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
The whole plant or one or more parts of the plant Ficus arnottiana may be ground
and the whole plant or one or more parts of the plant Ficus arnottiana may be
coarsely ground or ground to a powder or ground to another type of texture.
In an embodiment of the invention, the solvent for extracting ground whole plant or
one or more parts of the plant Ficus arnottiana is selected from methanol, ethanol, npropanol,
isopropanol, n-butanol, acetone, ethyl acetate, dichloromethane, water, or
mixtures thereof, preferably mixture of methanol and water.
In an embodiment of the invention, the solvent extract is filtered before
concentration.
In an embodiment of the invention, concentration of the solvent extract is done by
using one or more of the methods selected from (i) distillation under reduced
pressure ( 150-600 mm Hg) at 30 °C to 50 °C; (ii) lyophilization; and (iii) spray drying to
obtain the extract.
In an embodiment of the invention, the solvents for enriching the extract by solvent
partitioning are selected from water, petroleum ether, dichloromethane, chloroform,
ethyl acetate, methanol, acetone, acetonitrile, n-propanol, iso-propanol, and butanol
or mixtures thereof.
In an aspect of the invention, one or more bioactive markers are isolated from the
extract of the whole plant or one or more parts of the plant Ficus arnottiana.
In an embodiment of the invention, two bioactive markers are identified in the extract
of the plant Ficus arnottiana. The bioactive markers are isolated from the extract and
are specifically identified as phlorizin and 5,7,4'-trihydroxyflavone.
In another embodiment of the invention, two bioactive markers are isolated from the
composition comprising the extract of the plant Ficus arnottiana. The bioactive
markers are identified as phlorizin and 5,7,4'-trihydroxyflavone.
Accordingly, in one aspect, the present invention relates to a composition comprising
a therapeutically effective amount of the extract of the plant Ficus arnottiana
containing one or more bioactive markers for use in the prevention and treatment of
a viral infection caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV).
In one embodiment, the bioactive marker contained in the extract is phlorizin and
5,7,4'-trihydroxyflavone or a mixture thereof.
In an embodiment, the present invention relates to the bioactive marker(s) isolated
from the extract of the plant Ficus arnottiana for use in the treatment of a viral
infection caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV), wherein the HSV may be HSV-1 or
HSV-2; and wherein the bioactive marker is selected from phlorizin or 5,7,4'-
trihydroxyflavone or mixtures thereof.
The present invention further relates to a method of treating a viral infection caused
by herpes simplex virus (HSV) in a subject, which comprises administering to the
subject the composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount of the isolated
extract of the plant Ficus arnottiana.
The present invention still further relates to a method of treating a viral infection
caused by HSV in a subject, wherein the HSV is HSV-1 , which comprises
administering to the subject the composition comprising a therapeutically effective
amount of the isolated extract of the plant Ficus arnottiana.
The present invention also relates to a method of treating viral infection caused by
HSV in a subject, wherein the HSV is HSV-2, which comprises administering to the
subject the composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount of the isolated
extract of the plant Ficus arnottiana.
The present invention also relates to the composition comprising a therapeutically
effective amount of an isolated extract of the plant Ficus arnottiana in combination
with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier for use in the prevention and treatment of
viral infection caused by HSV.
The present invention further relates to the composition comprising a therapeutically
effective amount of an isolated extract of the plant Ficus arnottiana in combination
with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier for use in the prevention and treatment of
viral infection caused by HSV, wherein the HSV is HSV-1 .
The present invention still further relates to the composition comprising a
therapeutically effective amount of an isolated extract of the plant Ficus arnottiana in
combination with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier for use in the prevention and
treatment of viral infection caused by HSV, wherein the HSV is HSV-2.
The present invention also relates to the use of a therapeutically effective amount of
an isolated extract of the plant Ficus arnottiana in combination with a
pharmaceutically acceptable carrier for the manufacture of a medicament for the
treatment of viral infection.
In an aspect of the invention, the subject to be treated or the subject to which the use
is directed to, is a mammal, particularly a human who has been diagnosed as having
an infection caused by a virus. More particularly, the mammal to be treated is a
human who has been diagnosed as having an infection caused by a HSV.
In another aspect of the invention, the subject to be treated is a mammal,
particularly a human who has been diagnosed as being infected with human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to whom the composition is administered as a
prophylactic measure against co-infection with HSV-1 .
In yet another aspect of the invention, the subject to be treated is a mammal,
particularly a human who has been diagnosed as being infected with human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to whom the composition is administered as a
prophylactic measure against co-infection with HSV-2.
In a further aspect of the invention, the mammal to be treated is a human to whom
the composition is administered as a prophylactic measure against sexually
transmitted infection (STI).
In another aspect of the invention, the subject to be treated is a mammal, particularly
a human who has been diagnosed as having recurrent infections caused by a HSV.
The present invention also envisages the use of the composition of the present
invention in combination with other antiviral drugs such as acyclovir, famciclovir,
ganciclovir, imunovir, indinavir or oseltamivir.
In an aspect of the invention, the method of treating viral infection includes the
administration of the composition described above, by known routes of
administration, etc. including the following:
The composition can be administered orally, for example in the form of pills, tablets,
coated tablets, capsules, granules, solutions, elixirs or syrup.
According to the present invention, the composition formulated for oral
administration (oral formulations) contains about 5% to about 99% by weight of the
extract of the plant Ficus arnottiana. The oral formulation is prepared by thoroughly
blending the extract of the plant Ficus arnottiana into a conventional base such as
sugars, starches or lubricants.
The composition can be used for topical or transdermal administration. The topical
compositions of the present invention include formulations suitable for topical or
transdermal application to skin, suitable for administration to mucous membranes, or
administration in conjunction with a condom or other barrier device. The
compositions can be formulated into a wide variety of product types that include but
are not limited to lotions, creams, gels, sticks, patches, vaginal suppositories or
pessaries, sprays or ointments.
According to the present invention, the composition formulated for topical or
transdermal application contains about 5% to about 99%, preferably 5 to 50%, by
weight of the extract of the plant Ficus arnottiana. The topical or transdermal
formulation is prepared by blending the extract of the plant Ficus arnottiana into a
conventional base such as oils, waxes or glycols.
The extract of the plant Ficus arnottiana is contained in the composition of the
present invention in such an amount which is effective to achieve the desired
therapeutic response for a particular patient without being toxic to the patient or
causing severe side effects. The effective amount will depend upon a variety of
factors including the potency of the extract of the present invention employed, the
route of administration, the time of administration, the rate of excretion of the
particular composition being employed, the duration of the treatment, the age, sex,
weight, condition, general health and prior medical history of the patient being
treated, and like factors well known in the medical arts.
The efficacy of the extract of the plant Ficus arnottiana has been established by
biological assays which are described in detail in the following examples. These
examples are herein provided for the purpose of illustration only and are not
intended to limit the scope of the invention.
Examples
[Note: The water used in the experimental protocols is demineralized water.]
Example 1
Preparation of dichloromethane (DCM) and methanol (1 :1) extract of Ficus
arnottiana.
The freshly collected stem of Ficus arnottiana was dried using dehumidifier and
pulverized. The coarsely ground material (150 g) was soaked in 1500 ml DCM:
methanol ( 1 :1), with constant stirring, for 3 hours in a round bottom flask that was
placed in the water bath maintained at 4 ° ± 5°C. The extract was filtered and the
residue was soaked in 1500 ml DCM: methanol ( 1 : 1 ) for 3 hours at 40°C ± 5°C and
filtered. The extracts were combined and concentrated using rotary evaporator at
45°C under line vacuum (about 500 mm Hg) to obtain 5.0 g of crude extract
(designated as Sample 1) .
Extracts of other plant parts such as stem bark, stem without bark and twig using
DCM: methanol ( 1 :1 ) were prepared by following the same procedure as that used
for the stem. The yields of the extracts are as follows:
(i) 2.5 g of extract was obtained from 50 g of bark (designated as Sample 2).
(ii) 2.0 g of extract was obtained from 50 g of stem without bark (designated
as Sample 3).
(iii) 16.3 g of extract was obtained from 300 g of twig (designated as Sample
4).
Example 2
Enrichment of the Sample 1, Sample 2, Sample 3 and Sample 4 of Example 1.
Step 1. Sample 1 ( 1 g) was suspended in 30 ml of water: methanol (9:1) at room
temperature (25°C ± 5°C) and sonicated to dissolve and partitioned 3 times
successively with 30 mL petroleum ether (6 ° - 80°C). The petroleum ether layer
was concentrated on rotary evaporator under line vacuum to obtain 0.5 g petroleum
ether fraction (designated as Sample 5).
Step 2. The aqueous filtrate obtained from step 1 was partitioned 3 times
successively with 30 mL chloroform. The chloroform layer was concentrated on
rotary evaporator under line vacuum to obtain 0.10 g chloroform fraction (designated
as Sample 6).
Step 3. The aqueous layer obtained from the step 2 was then partitioned 3 times
successively with 30 mL ethyl acetate. The ethyl acetate layer was concentrated in
rotary evaporator under line vacuum to obtain 0.07 g ethyl acetate fraction
(designated as Sample 7).
Step 4. The aqueous layer obtained from step 3 was then concentrated in rotary
evaporator under line vacuum to remove residual organic solvents and lyophilized to
obtain 0.24 g aqueous fraction (designated as Sample 8).
Enrichment of extracts of other plant parts such as stem bark, stem without bark and
twig was performed in the same manner as for extract of the stem. The yields of the
extracts are as follows:
(i) 1 g of Sample 2 was enriched to obtain 0.06 g petroleum ether fraction
(designated as Sample 9); 0.1 6 g chloroform fraction (designated as
Sample 10); 0.07 g ethyl acetate fraction (designated as Sample 11) and
0.24 g aqueous fraction (designated as Sample 12).
(ii) 1 g of Sample 3 was enriched to obtain 0.21 g petroleum ether fraction
(designated as Sample 13); 0.19 g chloroform fraction (designated as
Sample 14); 0.29 g ethyl acetate fraction (designated as Sample 15) and
0.28 g aqueous fraction (designated as Sample 16).
(iii) 1 g of Sample 4 was enriched to obtain 0.64 g petroleum ether fraction
(designated as Sample 17); 0.15 g chloroform fraction (designated as
Sample 18); 0.03 g ethyl acetate fraction (designated as Sample 19) and
0.08 g aqueous fraction (designated as Sample 20).
Example 3
Preparation of methanol extract of the plant, Ficus arnottiana.
The freshly collected stem of Ficus arnottiana was dried and pulverized. The
coarsely ground material (50 g) was soaked in 500 mL methanol with stirring, for 3
hours in a round bottom flask that was placed in the water bath maintained at 4 ° ±
5°C. The extract was filtered and the residue was soaked in 500 ml methanol for 3
hours at 40° ± 5°C and filtered. The extracts were combined and concentrated
using rotary evaporator under line vacuum to obtain 2.06 g of extract (designated as
Sample 21).
Methanol extract of twig of the plant Ficus arnottiana was prepared by following the
same procedure as that used for the stem. 3.95 g of extract (designated as Sample
22) was obtained from 50 g of twig.
Example 4
Preparation of methanol: water (1 :1) extract of the plant, Ficus arnottiana.
The freshly collected stem of Ficus arnottiana was dried and pulverized. The
coarsely ground material ( 100 g) was soaked in 1 L methanol: water ( 1 :1) with
constant stirring, for 3 hours in a round bottom flask that was placed in the water
bath maintained at 40°C ± 5°C. The extract was filtered and the residue was soaked
in 800 ml methanol: water ( 1 : 1 ) for 3 hours at 40 ± 5°C and filtered. The extracts
were combined and concentrated using rotary evaporator under line vacuum and
lyophilized to obtain 5.67 g of hydromethanolic extract (designated as Sample 23).
Hydromethanolic extract of twig of the plant Ficus arnottiana was prepared by
following the same procedure as that used for the stem. 4.03 g of extract (designated
as Sample 24) was obtained from 50 g of twig.
Example 5
Preparation of water extract of the plant, Ficus arnottiana.
The freshly collected stem of Ficus arnottiana was dried and pulverized. The
coarsely ground material (50 g) was soaked in 500 ml water, with constant stirring,
for 3 hours in a round bottom flask that was placed in the water bath maintained at
45°C ± 5°C. The extract was filtered and lyophilized to obtain 1.04 g of extract
(designated as Sample 25).
Water extract of twig of the plant Ficus arnottiana was prepared by following the
same procedure as that used for the stem. 1. 1 1 g of extract (designated as Sample
26) was obtained from 50 g of twig.
Example 6
Preparation of formulation.
General procedure for the preparation of cream.
Dissolved required amount of methyl paraben and propyl paraben in propylene
glycol and water (refer to Table 1) in a suitable glass / stainless steel vessel with
slight heating. Sample 23 of Example 4 was added to the vessel and
dissolved/dispersed using mechanical stirrer. The temperature was maintained at
60 ° to 75°C. Glyceryl monostearate and propylene glycol were added to this
solution under constant stirring. Beeswax, white soft paraffin and glyceryl
monostearate were melted and added to the above vessel under constant stirring.
The temperature was reduced slowly to room temperature.
Table 1: Formulation IA, Formulation IB and Formulation IC
Example 7
Analytical analysis.
Part A: Evaluation of sample 23 of Example 4.
Dissolved 100 mg of the sample 23 of Example 4 in 1 ml of methanol :water ( 1 :1 ) ;
treated with 1 ml of 0.04 M KMn04 and stored for 15 minutes at room temperature.
The mixture was diluted with diluent [methanol :water ( 1 :1)] and filtered through 0.45
m polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) filter and filtrate analyzed by HPLC.
Analytical HPLC conditions:
Column Unisphere aqua C 18, 150 x 4.6 mm, 3 mhi
Mobile phase A 0.1 % trifluoroacetic acid
Mobile phase B acetonitrile
Gradient time (minutes)/% A: 0/90,25/60,30/20,35/20,36/90,40/90
Run time 40 minutes
Concentration 10 mg/mL
Diluent methanokwater ( 1 :1 )
Wavelength 270 nm
Result:
FIGURE I depicts an analytical chromatogram of sample 23 of Example 4. The
chromatogram illustrates two bioactive marker peaks, designated as BM 1 (bioactive
marker 1) and BM 2 (bioactive marker 2), at retention time of 14.3 and 2 1.8
respectively. The bioactive markers exhibited antiviral activity. BM 1 and BM 2 were
isolated and purified as described in Part C.
Part B: Evaluation of Formulation IB of Example 6.
Dissolved 1 g of Formulation IB of Example 6 in 15 mL of methanol :water ( 1 :1) and
heated at 60 °C for 20 minutes. The resulting solution was diluted with the diluent
upto 20 mL and filtered through 0.45 m polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) filter and the
filtrate was analyzed by HPLC.
Analytical HPLC conditions:
Column Unisphere aqua C 18, 150 x 4.6 mm, 3 mhi
Mobile phase A 0.1 % trifluoroacetic acid
Mobile phase B acetonitrile
Gradient time (minutes)/% A: 0/90, 25/60, 30/20, 35/20, 36/90, 40/90
Run time 40 minutes
Concentration 50 mg/mL
Diluent methanokwater ( 1 :1 )
Wavelength : 270 nm
Result:
FIGURE I I depicts an analytical chromatogram of Formulation IB of Example 6. The
chromatogram illustrates two bioactive marker peaks, designated as BM 1 and BM 2,
at retention time of 14.3 and 2 1.8 respectively. The bioactive markers exhibited
antiviral activity. BM 1 and BM 2 were isolated and purified as described in Part C.
Part C: Isolation of bioactive markers.
85.0 g of sample 23 of Example 4 was dissolved in 1.6 L of methanol; sonicated for
10 minutes and was allowed to settle for 30 minutes. Supernatant was decanted and
filtered to obtain filtrate no.1 . The insoluble portion was washed with 200 ml_
methanol. The supernatant was filtered to obtain filtrate no. 2. The filtrates no.1 and
2 were pooled and dried on rotavapour to obtain 26.18 g of sample. 13.0 g of the
resulting sample was dissolved in 36 ml of methanol :water (75:25; v:v), sonicated,
centrifuged. The supernatant was loaded on LH-20 column (5 x 80 cm) and elution
was done with methanol :water (75:25; v:v). Another batch of 13.0 g of sample was
processed in the procedure described above. The fractions were collected and
analyzed by HPLC.
Analytical HPLC conditions:
Column Unisphere C 18, 250 x 4.6 mm, 5 mhi
Mobile phase A 0.1 % trifluoroacetic acid
Mobile phase B acetonitrile
Gradient time (minutes)/% A: 0/90, 30/20, 35/20, 36/90, 40/90
Run time 40 minutes
Injection volume 10 m
Wavelength 270 nm
The fractions from the two LH-20 columns were pooled and concentrated to dryness
at 40°C under vacuum to obtain 100 mg of bioactive marker 1 and 135 mg bioactive
marker 2. The dried samples of bioactive markers 1 and 2 were separately subjected
to C-1 8 flash chromatography for further purification.
Chromatographic conditions for flash chromatography:
Column Redisep C 18, 14 x 2 cm
Mobile phase A 0.1 % trifluoroacetic acid
Mobile phase B acetonitrile
Gradient time (minutes)/% A: 0/90, 30/20, 35/20, 36/90, 40/90
Flow 30 mL/minute
Wavelength 270 nm
Bioactive marker 1:
The fractions of flash chromatography were monitored by HPLC. The fractions
containing bioactive marker 1 were pooled and evaporated at 4 ° under vacuum to
dryness to obtain 30 mg of semipure bioactive marker 1 which was further purified
using silica semi-preparative HPLC to obtain 5.3 mg of bioactive marker 1. Bioactive
marker 1 is present in the sample 23 of Example 4 in the range of 0.02 to 0.8%.
Chromatographic conditions for silica semi-preparative HPLC:
Column Grace silica, 5m (250 x 10 mm)
Mobile phase methanokdichloromethane ( 10:90) ; v:v
Flow 5 mL/minute
Wavelength 270 nm
Sample cone. 20 mg/m L
Based on the Mass and NMR data, the bioactive marker 1 was identified as
phlorizin. Molecular formula of phlorizin is C21 H24O10 and molecular weight is 436.41 .
Bioactive marker 2 :
The fractions of flash chromatography were monitored by HPLC. Crystals of
bioactive marker 2 were obtained from the fractions. The crystals were separated by
decantation and dried to obtain 20 mg of bioactive marker 2. Based on Mass and
NMR data, the bioactive marker 2 was identified as 5,7,4'-trihydroxyflavone.
Molecular formula of 5,7,4'-trihydroxyflavone is C 5H 0O5 and molecular weight is
270.05. Bioactive marker 2 is present in the sample 23 of Example 4 in the range of
0.0 1 to 0.1%.
BIOLOGICAL EVALUATION
In vitro Antiviral assays
Example 8
Preparation of viral stock.
Materials used:
Cell line : Vero (Kidney epithelial cells of African green
monkey kidney cell line- American Type
Culture Collection (ATCC) # CCL-81)
Virus : HSV-1 (ATCC strain VR-1493 and clinical
strain from National Institute of Virology, Pune,
India)
: HSV-2 (ATCC strain VR-734 and clinical strain
from National Institute of Virology, Pune, India)
Medium : Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium
(DMEM, Gibco, USA, Cat no: 12430)
Serum : Fetal Bovine Serum
(FBS, Gibco, USA, Cat no: 16000-044)
Trypsin-EDTA solution :0.25%Trypsin-Ethylenediaminetetra- aceticacid
(Trypsin-EDTA, Gibco, USA, Cat no: 25200)
Standard compound : Acyclovir (Medicorp, Hyderabad, India)
Plasticwares : Tissue culture flasks 25 cm2
(Nunc, USA, Cat no: 156367)
: Tissue culture flasks 75 cm2
(Nunc, USA, Cat no: 156499)
: Centrifuge tubes 15 ml_
(Nunc, USA, Cat no: 366060)
: Centrifuge tubes 50 ml_
(Nunc, USA, Cat no: 373687)
: Flat bottom 96-well plates
(Nunc, USA, Cat no: 167008)
Stain : Crystal violet (Sigma, USA, Cat no:
C3886-25G)
Antibiotic-antimycotic : (Gibco, USA, Cat no: 15240)
mixture
3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)
-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide
(MTT) reagent : (Trevigen Inc, Gaithersburg MD, Cat no. 4890-25-
0 1)
Detergent Reagent : (Trevigen Inc, Gaithersburg MD, Cat no: 4890-25-
02)
Step 1
Maintenance of the cell line.
Maintenance of the cell line was performed as reported in Antiviral Research, 2005,
67, 24-30 incorporated herein by reference for its procedure.
Vera cell line obtained from ATCC was propagated in complete growth medium i.e.
Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM) supplemented with 10% Fetal Bovine
Serum (FBS) and 1x antibiotic-antimycotic mixture. T-25 tissue culture flask with cell
monolayer was selected for subculturing. DMEM from the flask was removed and
briefly rinsed with DMEM without serum to remove all traces of serum that contains
trypsin inhibitor. 1 mL of Trypsin-EDTA solution was added to flask and observed
under an inverted microscope until cell monolayer was dispersed (usually within 3-5
minutes). Immediately, 14 mL of complete growth medium was added and cells were
aspirated by gentle pipetting. A subcultivation ratio of 1:3 was obtained by adding
each 5 mL of cell suspension to 3 different T-25 tissue culture flasks. Flasks were
maintained at 37°C with 5% C0 2.
Step 2
Virus (HSV-1 and HSV-2) propagation.
Virus propagation was performed as reported in Antiviral Research, 2005, 67, 24-30
incorporated herein by reference for its procedure.
HSV-1 and HSV-2 were propagated in Vera cells. Briefly, Vera cells were grown in
DMEM supplemented with 10% FBS, penicillin and streptomycin (complete medium)
at 37 C with 5% C0 2. When cells attained 80-90% confluence, the monolayer
obtained was washed with plain DMEM and infected with appropriate dilutions of
virus. Virus was allowed to adsorb to monolayer for 1 hour at 37 C with 5% C0 2.
After one hour, virus inoculum was removed and 10 mL of DMEM supplemented with
2% FBS was added and flask was incubated further for 48 hours till the complete
disruption of cell monolayer. Flask was observed microscopically twice daily for
cytopathic effect (CPE). CPE are alterations in cellular morphology, such as
rounding and enlargement of cells, synctia and inclusion formation, caused by the
virus. After 48 hours of incubation, flask was then subjected to 2-3 freeze thaw
cycles for complete cell lysis and release of the virus into the culture medium. Cell
debris was removed by centrifugation at 1000 rpm, for 10 minutes at 4 C. The
supernatant obtained was stored as aliquots at -80 C. Titer of the viral stock was
determined using following methods:
Step 3 (A)
Determination of viral titer using cytopathic effect (CPE) Assay.
The assay was done as reported in World J. Gastroenterol., 2006, 12: 4078-4081
incorporated herein by reference for its procedure.
Viral titer was determined by CPE assay and was expressed as tissue culture
infectious dose 50 (TCID50) . Vera cells (obtained in step 1) were seeded in 96-well
plate at a density of 2 x 104 cells/1 00 m I_/ well and then incubated at 37°C with 5%
C0 2 for 24 hours for 80-90% confluency. A serial dilution of viral stock (obtained in
step 2) was carried out (10~1 to 10~8 ) in maintenance medium (DMEM with 2% FBS).
Growth medium from the culture plate was removed and 100 m I_ of each dilution of
virus was used for infecting Vero cells. Vera cells only with maintenance medium
served as cell control. Post infection, the culture plate was incubated at 37 in a
C0 2 incubator for 48 hours. After 48 hours of incubation, the CPE was examined
under an inverted microscope in the wells inoculated with virus dilutions. When virus
controls showed the maximum CPE, media was removed and the infected
monolayer was fixed and stained using a solution containing formalin ( 10%) and
crystal violet (1%) for 30 minutes. At the end of 30 minutes, the stain was aspirated
out and the plate rinsed using distilled water until all excess stain was washed away.
The plate was allowed to dry overnight. The viral titer (TCID50) was calculated as
described in Am. J. Hyg., 1938, 27, 493-497. TCID50 represents the dose that gives
rise to CPE in 50% of inoculated cultures.
Result: Viral titer of HSV-1 determined by CPE Assay was 5.88 x 106 TCID50/mL.
Viral titer of HSV-2 determined by CPE Assay was 1.58 x 107 TCID50/mL.
Step 3 (B)
Determination of viral titer using Plaque Assay.
The assay was done as reported in Antiviral Res., 2005, 67(1): 24-30 incorporated
herein by reference for its procedure.
Viral titer was also determined by plaque assay and was expressed as plaque
forming units per mL (pfu/mL). Vero cells (obtained in step 1) were trypsinized,
counted and plated into 24-well plate at a density of 2 x 105 cells/mL/ well and
incubated at 37°C with 5% C0 2 for 24 hours for 80-90% confluency. Serial dilutions
of virus (from viral stock obtained in step 2) were prepared in the range of 10~2 to 10~7
using maintenance medium (DMEM with 2% FBS). Growth medium from the plate
was removed and 0.2 mL of each dilution of virus was added to each well taking care
not to dislodge any cells. Infected monolayers were incubated at 37 with 5% C0 2
for 1 hour with shaking every 15 minutes. After the incubation period, 1% CMC was
added to each well in 1 mL volume and plate was incubated for 48 hours, after which
the cells were fixed and stained with a solution containing formalin (10%) and crystal
violet (1%) for 30 minutes. At the end of 30 minutes, the stain was aspirated out and
the plate was rinsed using distilled water until all excess stain was washed away.
The plates were allowed to dry overnight. Plaques were counted to estimate the viral
titer which is expressed as plaque forming units per mL (pfu/mL).
Viral titer = (No. of plaques produced x dilution of virus x vol. of inoculum)
Result: Viral titer of HSV-1 determined by the plaque assay was 2.1 x 108 pfu/mL.
Viral titer of HSV-2 determined by the plaque assay was 1.65 x 107 pfu/mL.
Example 9
Primary antiviral screening test was performed using CPE inhibition assay
(Crystal violet staining method).
The assay was designed to detect agents (in this case, the extracts) exhibiting
activity at any stage of the virus reproductive cycle. The assay was done as reported
in Indian J. Med. Res., 2004, 120:24-29 incorporated herein by reference for its
procedure.
Vero cells (obtained in step 1 of Example 8) were propagated at a density of 1x1 04
cells/well in 96 well plate and incubated at 37 in a C0 2 incubator for 24 hours to
form a monolayer. Samples 1 to 26 were tested by adding at 50 mg/mL and 100
m I concentration (DMSO stock of 20 mg/mL of the extract was diluted to 50
m h I and 100 m h I with DMEM containing 2% FBS) in a final culture volume of
200 m I_/nnQ ΐI. Appropriate controls were included such as Vero cells alone (cell
control), Vero cells with virus (virus control) and Vero cells with virus and the
standard compound, acyclovir (a commercially available antiviral drug). Acyclovir
was tested at the following concentrations (DMSO stock of 20 mg/mL of acyclovir
was diluted to 100 mg/mL with DMEM containing 2% FBS): 12.5 mg/mL, 6.25 mg/mL,
3.1 25 mg/mL, 1.5 mg/mL and 0.78 mg/mL against HSV-1 and 25 mg/mL, 12.5 mg/mL,
6.25 mg/mL and 3.1 25 mg/mL against HSV-2. The extracts to be assayed were added
1 hour prior to infection to provide maximum sensitivity and give a tentative idea of
potential inhibitors of early replicative steps such as adsorption or penetration. After
one hour, cells were infected with 100 of appropriate viral dose per well [HSV-1 at
a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 104 TCID50 or HSV-2 at a MOI of 103 TCID50] using
viral stock obtained in step 2 of Example 8. The infected cells were incubated with
maintenance medium (DMEM with 2% FBS) for another 48 to 50 hours. When virus
controls showed the maximum CPE, medium was aspirated and the cells were
washed with 0.85% saline followed by staining with 0.1% crystal violet solution for 30
minutes. The staining solution was aspirated out and the plates rinsed using distilled
water until all excess stain was washed away. The plates were allowed to dry for 24
hours. CPE was evaluated visually, after staining the plaques, and microscopically
and graded according to the percentage of CPE inhibition as compared to controls.
Results obtained are presented in Table 2.
Table 2
Sample % CPE inhibition (HSV-1) % CPE inhibition (HSV-2)
50 Mg/mL 100 Mg/mL 50 Mg/mL 100 Mg L
Sample 1 - - + -
Sample 2 - ++++ ++++ ++++
Sample 3 - - - -
Sample 4 + ++ + ++++
Sample 5 - - - -
Sample 6 + - +++ +
Sample 7 - - - -
Sample % CPE inhibition (HSV-1) % CPE inhibition (HSV-2)
50 g/mL 100 Mg/mL 50 g/mL 100 Mg/mL
Sample 8 ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++
Sample 9 - - - -
Sample 10 ++ - + -
Sample 11 ++++ + +++ +
Sample 12 - - + -
Sample 13 - - - -
Sample 14 - - - -
Sample 15 - - - -
Sample 16 ++ - + -
Sample 17 - - - -
Sample 18 + ++ ++ +++
Sample 19 - - - ++
Sample 20 ++++ + ++++ ++++
Sample 2 1 - + ++++ +++
Sample 22 +++ ++++ ++++ ++++
Sample 23 ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++
Sample 24 +++ - +++ ++++
Sample 25 - ++ ++++ ++++
Sample 26 - - - +++
The results obtained with acyclovir are shown in Table 3.
Table 3
Acyclovir cone. % CPE inhibition % CPE inhibition
Mg/mL (HSV-1) (HSV-2)
0.78 + nd
1.5 ++ nd
3.125 +++ +
6.25 +++ ++
12.5 ++++ +++
25 nd ++++
The symbols used in the above tat 2 and 3 have the following meaning
Symbols % CPE inhibition Symbols % CPE inhibition
nd not done; 0-10% CPE inhibition;
+ 11-25% CPE inhibition; ++ 26-50% CPE inhibition;
+++ 51-75% CPE inhibition; ++++ 76-1 00% CPE inhibition.
Example 10
CPE inhibition assay - MTT method.
IC5o was determined for extracts which showed good dose response against both
HSV-1 and HSV-2. IC50 was estimated by CPE inhibition assay (MTT method).
The assay was designed to detect agents (in this case, the extracts) acting at any
stage of the virus reproductive cycle. The assay was done as reported in World J.
Gastroenterol., 2006, 12:4078-4081 incorporated herein by reference for its
procedure.
This assay was performed as described in Example 9, for CPE inhibition assaystaining
method, except that 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium
bromide (MTT) assay was carried out without staining of the cells with crystal violet
staining. Vero cells (obtained in step 1 of Example 8) in 96-well flat-bottomed plates
were treated with maintenance medium (DMEM with 2% FBS) that contained sample
1 of Example 1 or acyclovir for 1 hour. Then cells were infected with virus (using viral
stock obtained in step 2 of example 8) at a MOI of 100 TCID50. After 48 hour
incubation at 37 C , viable cells were measured (absorbance at 570nm was
measured by using 96-well plate ELISA reader) by MTT assay. The data was
analyzed by plotting a graph of sample concentrations (m /ihI ) versus calculated %
viability of Vero cells (treated with virus and controls), allowing quantification of
changes in cell proliferation. The antiviral activity was determined according to the
following formula:
Antiviral activity = X 100
(ODc) mock (ODc) HSV
wherein:
(ODT)HSV: absorbance measured with a concentration of
extract in HSV infected cells;
(ODC)HSV: refers to absorbance measured for the control untreated
HSV-infected cells; and
(ODc )mock: refers to absorbance measured for control untreated mockinfected
cells.
IC5o value was calculated from this data as concentration needed to inhibit half of the
maximum cytopathic effect of HSV-1 and HSV-2.
Result: IC5o value of sample 1 of Example 1 against HSV-1 was 15.48 mg/mL.
IC50 value of sample 1 of Example 1 against HSV-2 was 17 mg/mL.
Example 1 1
Cytotoxicity assay.
The assay was done as reported in World J. Gastroenterol., 2006, 12:4078-4081
incorporated herein by reference for its procedure.
Toxicity analysis was performed in order to assess whether any observed antiviral
effects resulted from a general effect on cell viability. Vero cells (obtained in step 1 of
example 8) for the toxicity analyses were cultured in 96-well plates and treated with
extracts with the same schedule as used for antiviral evaluations without addition of
virus. Viable cells were assayed using the MTT dye. Toxic effects of sample 1 of
Example 1 were calculated as a percentage of the reduction of viable cells in the
presence of the plant extract as compared to viable cells observed in the absence of
plant extract. The following formula was used:
{A (extract) - A (Blank)}
Cytotoxicity = X 100
{(A (Cell control) - A (Blank)}
wherein A represents absorbance measured at ELISA reader.
The 50% cell cytotoxic concentration (CC5o) was calculated from this data.
The selectivity index (SI), also referred to as therapeutic index, was evaluated as the
ratio of CC5o and IC5o and the results obtained are given in Table 5. To determine if
sample 1 of Example 1 has sufficient antiviral activity that exceeds its level of
toxicity, SI was calculated according to CC5o/IC5o-
For present study SI value of >5 has been considered as effective for extracts.
Results obtained are presented in Table 4.
Table 4
value obtained from Example 10.
Example 12
Evaluation of the effect of sample 23 of Example 4 on HSV-1 and HSV-2
replication at different time points post-infection.
The objective of this study was to determine the stage of HSV-1/ HSV-2 replication
that may be blocked by sample 23 of Example 4. An antiviral drug candidate may
specifically inhibit and target a virus at any stage of its replication cycle such as
adsorption, fusion, uncoating, reverse transcription, integration, nucleic acid
synthesis and maturation (Methods in Molecular Medicine, 1998, vol 10, 387-405).
These stages occur at different time points in the virus life cycle spanning from 1hour
-initiation of adsorption to 24 hours - completion of one HSV replication cycle.
Adsorption stage of the virus life cycle is the initial attachment of the herpes virus to
host cells which involves interaction of gC and gD (conserved glycoproteins) on the
virus with cell surface receptors such as heparin sulfate. Attachment stage of the
virus life cycle is the stable attachment which allows close association of virus with
the cell. The stage of the virus life cycle subsequent to the adsorption and
attachment stages is known as the post infection stage.
Vera cells were seeded onto 96-well flat-bottomed plates at a density of 2.2 x 104
cells /well in 10% FBS-DMEM growth medium. After 20-24 hours, the confluent
monolayers were infected with 100 m ί well of 1:1 04 virus dilution (HSV-1 clinical
strain) (TCID50 5.88 x 106/mL) or 1: 103 dilution of HSV-2 (TCID50 2.43 x 106/mL)
and plates incubated for 1 hour at 37°C and 5% C0 2. Two fold serial dilutions of
sample 23 of Example 4 and acyclovir, were prepared in 2% FBS-DMEM
maintenance medium to obtain eight concentrations 3.1 25, 6.25, 12.5, 25, 50, 100,
200 and 400 m h I and 100 m I_ of each dilution was added per well in triplicate at
0,1 , 3, 5, 7, 16 and 24 hours post infection. At 0 hour, sample 23 of Example 4 and
acyclovir dilutions were added concurrently with the virus. Maintenance medium was
added to the wells for virus control (virus dilution + maintenance medium) and cell
control (maintenance medium only).The plates were further incubated for 48-50
hours at 37°C. Following incubation, the contents of the plate were discarded and the
plate was washed with DMEM once. 100 m I_ nqII of 1:10 dilution of the MTT reagent
prepared in 2% FBS-DMEM maintenance medium was added to the plate and
incubated for 4 hours until purple dye was visible. 100 m I_ of Detergent Reagent per
well was then added. The plate was left in the 37°C, 5% C0 2 incubator overnight.
After incubation, the plate cover was removed and absorbance measured in each
well at 570 nm in the microplate plate reader (BIO- TEK, Synergy HT).
Observations for studies involving herpes simplex virus, HSV-1 :
• At 0 hour, corresponding to the adsorption stage, 52% antiviral activity was
observed at 50 mg/mL, 77% at 100 mg/mL and 64% at 200 mg/mL.
• At 1 hour post infection (p.i), corresponding to the attachment stage, 80% antiviral
effect was observed at 100 mg/mL and 64% at 200 mg/mL.
• At 3 hours p.i., corresponding to the initiation of replication, 90% antiviral effect
was observed at 100 mg/mL and 70% at 200 mg/mL.
• At 5 hours p.i., corresponding to HSV viral DNA synthesis, 83% antiviral effect
was observed at 100 mg/mL and 68% at 200 mg/mL.
• At 7 hours p.i., corresponding to the later stages of HSV viral DNA synthesis, 77%
antiviral effect was observed at 100 mg/mL and 73% at 200 mg/mL.
• At 16 hours p.i., corresponding to the maximum efficiency of replication, 75%
antiviral effect was observed at 100 mg/mL and 71% at 200 mg/mL.
• At 24 hours p.i., corresponding to HSV virion egress (release of mature virions
from the host cell after replication) 36% antiviral effect was observed at 100 mg/mL
and 37% at 200 mg/mL.
Acyclovir showed potent antiviral effect against HSV-1 at all the concentrations
between 3.125-200 mg/mL from 0-7 hours. This activity drastically reduced to about
17% at 16-24 hours corresponding to the later stages of replication and virion
egress. Thus, the results of this study indicate that acyclovir was ineffective at the
later stages of HSV-1 replication.
Conclusion: The antiviral activity of sample 23 of Example 4 against HSV-1 thus
peaked at 3 hours p.i. This activity was potent from 0-16 hours p.i. and reduced
considerably at 24 hours p.i.
Observations for studies involving herpes simplex virus, HSV-2:
• At 0 hour, corresponding to the adsorption stage, 77% antiviral activity was
observed at 50 mg/mL, 76% at 100 mg/mL and 51% at 200 mg/mL.
• At 1 hour p.i., corresponding to the attachment stage, 66% antiviral effect was
observed at 100 mg/mL and 52% at 200 mg/mL.
• At 3 hours p.i., corresponding to the initiation of replication, 74% antiviral effect
was observed at 100 mg/mL and 55% at 200 mg/mL.
• At 5 hours p.i., corresponding to HSV viral DNA synthesis, 79% antiviral effect
was observed at 100 mg/mL and 63% at 200 mg/mL.
• At 7 hours p.i., corresponding to the later stages of HSV viral DNA synthesis, 83%
antiviral effect was observed at 100 mg/mL and 67% at 200 mg/mL.
• At 16 hours p.i., corresponding to the maximum efficiency of replication and
initiation of virion release, 83% antiviral effect was observed at 100 mg/mL and 67%
at 200 mg/mL.
• At 24 hours p.i., no antiviral effect was observed.
Acyclovir showed potent antiviral effect against HSV-2 at all the concentrations
between 3.1 25-200 mg/mL from 0-7 hours. This activity was absent at 16-24 hours
p.i. which corresponds to the later stages of replication and virion egress. Thus, the
results of this study indicate that acyclovir was ineffective at the later stages of HSV-
2 replication.
Conclusion: The antiviral activity of sample 23 of Example 4 against HSV-2 peaked
at 7-1 6 hours p.i. This activity was potent from 0-1 6 hours p.i.
Example 13
Evaluation of antiviral activity of sample 23 of Example 4 against herpes
simplex viruses, HSV-1 and HSV-2 prior to infection.
In order for herpes viruses to enter a target cell, they must fuse their lipid membrane
envelope with the lipid membrane of the cell. This complex viral entry mechanism is
mediated by at least three conserved glycoprotein's (gC, gB and gD) and their ability
to bind cell surface receptors such as nectins and herpes virus entry mediator
(HVEM) (Cell. Mol. Life Sci, 2008, 65, 1653-1668). The objective of this pre-treatment
assay was to establish whether sample 23 of Example 4 was able to cause viral
inhibition by interacting with structures of the virion envelope such as the
glycoprotein's or cell surface receptors such as heparan sulfate (HS) that are
necessary for adsorption or entry into Vera cells.
Vera cells were seeded onto 24 well plates at a density of 1.8 x 105 cells/well. The
plates were incubated for 20-24 hours at 37 C and 5% C0 2. Serial two-fold dilutions
of sample 23 of Example 4 and acyclovir, both at a concentration range of 3.125-400
mg/mL, were added to appropriate wells (200 m I_ nqII ) in duplicate and incubated at
37 C and 5% C0 2 for 1 hour. Post one hour, these dilutions were aspirated out, Vera
cells were washed once with PBS and then infected with 200 m I_LnqII of HSV-1 virus
suspension at a titer of 2.1 x 108 pfu/mL or HSV-2 virus suspension at a titer of 1.65
x 107 pfu/mL. The virus was allowed to adsorb for 1 hour at 37 C and 5% C0 2
followed by a PBS wash. 1 mL overlay medium (1% carboxymethyl cellulose + 2%
FBS-DMEM) was then added to each well and the plates were further incubated at
37 C and 5% C0 2 for 49 hours. Following incubation, the plates were washed with
0.85% saline and stained with 0.1 3% crystal violet. Viral plaques were enumerated
and IC5ovalue for sample 23 of Example 4 extract was calculated.
Result:
FIGURE III illustrates significant inhibitory activity of Sample 23 of Example 4 from
200-400 mg/mL as indicated by 63-88% inhibition against HSV-1 . The IC50 value for
sample 23 of Example 4 was calculated as 17 1.25 mg/ml against HSV-1 . The
observed inhibitory effect of sample 23 of Example 4 against HSV-1 was potent as
compared with the weak inhibitory effect, 10-40%, exhibited by acyclovir at a
concentration range of 3.125-400 mg/mL.
FIGURE IV illustrates 60-86% inhibition by Sample 23 of Example 4 at 200-400
m h I against HSV-2. The IC5o value for sample 23 of Example 4 was calculated as
202.5 m h I against HSV-2. Acyclovir exhibited weak inhibitory effect, 10-20% at a
concentration range of 3.125-400 mg/mL against HSV-2.
Conclusion:
Pre-treatment with sample 23 of Example 4 resulted in causing significant inhibition
of HSV-1 and HSV-2 entry into Vera cells (adsorption and attachment) immediately
after contact with the virus indicating prophylactic effect. This inhibitory effect was
significantly more potent than that of acyclovir.
Example 14
Virus adsorption assay.
There are many steps in a virus life cycle that can be targeted by potential antiviral
product candidates such as adsorption, fusion, uncoating, reverse transcription,
integration, nucleic acid synthesis and maturation. The results of the adsorption
assay, will therefore help to establish the credibility of sample 23 of Example 4 to
inhibit HSV-1 or HSV-2 at the adsorption stage of its infectious cycle wherein
glycoprotein C (gC) and glycoprotein D (gD) on the virus interact with cell surface
receptor glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) such as heparan sulfate (HS).
Vera cells were seeded onto 24 well flat bottomed plates at a concentration of 1.8 x
105 cells/well. The plates were incubated for 20-24 hours at 37°C and 5% C0 2 until
confluent monolayers were formed . Two-fold serial dilutions of sample 23 of Example
4 and acyclovir were prepared to yield concentrations ranging from 3.125-400
mg/mL. HSV-1 virus suspension at a concentration of 2.1 x 108 pfu/mL or HSV-2 at
1.65 x 107 pfu/mL were prepared. Equal volumes of each dilution of sample 23 of
Example 4/ acyclovir and HSV-1/ HSV-2 virus suspension were placed in sterile
eppendorf tubes and the mixtures were incubated at 37°C for 1 hour. 200 m I_ of these
admixtures were then added to the Vera cell monolayers to allow the virus to adsorb
in the presence of the extract for 1 hour at 37°C and 5% C0 2. The plates were then
washed once with PBS to remove the unbound virus and 1 mL overlay medium (1%
carboxy methyl cellulose; CMC) prepared in 2% FBS-DMEM maintenance medium
was added to each well. Further incubation for 49 hours at 37°C and 5% C0 2, with
regular monitoring was followed by 0.85% saline wash and staining with 0.13%
crystal solution. Viral plaques were enumerated and the IC5o value calculated.
Result:
FIGURE V shows that sample 23 of Example 4 was able to cause 100% inhibition of
HSV-1 virus adsorption from 100-400 mg/mL which decreased to 65% at 50 mg/mL.
IC5o for sample 23 of Example 4 is 44 mg/mL against HSV-1 .
FIGURE VI shows 100% inhibition of HSV-2 virus adsorption by sample 23 of
Example 4 at 50-400 mg/mL against HSV-2 which decreased to 92% at 25 mg/mL
IC50 for sample 23 of Example 4 is 15 mg/mL against HSV-2.
The activity of sample 23 of Example 4 against HSV-1 and HSV-2 was marginally
better than that of acyclovir. Sample 23 of Example 4 was effective when present
both prior to and during the adsorption phase of HSV-1 and HSV-2 viral infection at
the concentration range of 50- 400 mg/mL and was not microscopically cytotoxic at
these concentrations.
Example 15
Virus penetration assay.
Penetration of HSV into host cells may be defined as a step subsequent to initial
binding to the host cell surface which triggers fusion of the virion envelope with the
plasma membrane. This requires multiple interactions, in a cascade like manner,
involving various glycoproteins (gB, gD and gH/gL) and cell surface components
(Cell. Mol. Life Sci, 2008, 65, 1653-1 668). The objective of the virus penetration assay
was to establish, in vitro whether sample 23 of Example 4 would inhibit HSV-1 and
HSV-2 virus penetration into Vera cells.
Vera cells were seeded onto 24 well plates at a density of 1.8 x 105 cells/well. The
plates were incubated for 20-24 hours at 37 C and 5% C0 2. The confluent plates
were placed at 4 C for approximately half hour prior to start of experiment to enable
Vera cells to acclimatize to the cold environment as the subsequent steps were
carried out at 4 C. HSV-1 virus suspension at a titer of 2.1 x 108 pfu/mL or HSV-2 at
1.65 x 107 pfu/mL was prepared and 200 m I_was added to the confluent monolayers.
The cells were incubated at 4 C for 2 hours to allow viral attachment. Serial two-fold
dilutions of sample 23 of Example 4 and acyclovir both at a concentration range of
3.1 25-400 mg/mL were added to appropriate wells at room temperature and plates
incubated at 37 C and 5% C0 2 for 10 minutes. Dilutions of sample 23 of Example 4
and acyclovir were then aspirated out and the cell monolayer briefly washed with
PBS (pH 3.75) to inactivate virions that had not penetrated the cells. Subsequently
cells were washed with PBS (pH 11.0), to neutralize the acidic pH environment. 1 mL
overlay medium (1% CMC in 2% FBS-DMEM maintenance medium) was then added
to each well and the plates were incubated at 37 C for 48-50 hours. The plates were
then washed with 0.85% saline and stained with 0.13% crystal violet. Plaques were
enumerated and IC5 o value for sample 23 of Example 4 was calculated.
Result:
FIGURE VII demonstrates 80-95% inhibition of HSV-1 virus by sample 23 of
Example 4 from 50-400 m h I which decreased at the lower concentrations (3.125-
25 m h I ). The IC5 o Of sample 23 of Example 4 against HSV-1 virus was calculated
to be 30 m .
FIGURE VIII shows 100% inhibition of HSV-2 virus by sample 23 of Example 4 at
200-400 m h I which decreased to 90% at 100 m h I and 71% at 50 m h I . The
IC5 o of sample 23 of Example 4 against HSV-2 virus was calculated to be 36.1
m I .
Acyclovir showed weak to moderate inhibitory activity against HSV-1 and HSV 2 as
compared to sample 23 of Example 4.
Conclusion:
The results indicate that sample 23 of Example 4 was able to significantly inhibit
HSV-1 and HSV-2 virus penetration into Vera cells as compared to acyclovir which
did not strongly inhibit this step of HSV-1 and HSV-2 virus entry into host Vero cells.
Example 16
Evaluation of the virucidal activity of sample 23 of Example 4 against HSV-1
and HSV-2.
In the virucidal assay, the continuous presence of an antiviral drug may be frequently
required for blocking infectivity of viral particle for cultured cells and dilution of the
virus-extract complexes may dissociate, releasing infectious virus (Antiviral research,
2010, 86, 196-203). If a sample is unable to reduce virus infectivity at the IC5o or
other potent concentrations then the antiviral activity is not related to its virucidal
ability. The objective of this study was to evaluate in vitro, if the inhibitory activity of
sample 23 of Example 4 against HSV-1 and HSV-2 is due to its antiviral effect or
virucidal effect.
Vera cells were seeded onto 24 well flat-bottomed plates at a concentration of 1.8 x
105 cells/well. The plates were incubated for 20-24 hours at 37°C and 5% C0 2. Two
fold serial dilutions of sample 23 of Example 4 and acyclovir were prepared to yield
concentrations ranging from 25-400 mg/mL. HSV-1 virus suspension at a
concentration of approximately 1010 pfu/mL and HSV-2 at 10s pfu/ml were prepared.
Equal volumes of each dilution of sample 23 of Example 4 / acyclovir and HSV-
1/HSV-2 virus suspension were placed in sterile eppendorf tubes and the mixtures
were incubated at 37°C for 1 hour. These admixtures were then diluted ten-fold
( 1 : 1 00) to yield a final concentration range of 0.25-4 mg/ml corresponding to 25-400
mg/ml. 200 m I of these admixtures were then added to the Vero cell monolayers to
allow the virus to adsorb for 1 hour at 37°C and 5% C0 2. The plates were then
washed once with PBS to remove the unbound virus and 1 ml overlay medium (1%
carboxy methyl cellulose; CMC) prepared in 2% FBS-DMEM maintenance medium
was added to each well. Further incubation for 48-50 hours at 37°C and 5% C0 2,
was followed by 0.85% saline wash and staining with 0.1 3% crystal solution. Viral
plaques were then enumerated.
Result:
FIGURE IX exhibits 100% virucidal effect by sample 23 of Example 4 against HSV-1
at 200-400 mg/mL and 94% inhibition at 100 mg/mL. Acyclovir showed weak virucidal
effect ranging from 0-32% at concentration range of 25-400 mg/mL against HSV-1 .
FIGURE X shows 100% virucidal effect by sample 23 of Example 4 against HSV-2 at
400 mg/mL and 92-97% inhibition at 50-200 mg/mL. Acyclovir showed weak virucidal
effect ranging from 11-38% at concentration range 25-400 mg/mL against HSV-2.
Conclusion
Sample 23 of Example 4 exhibited strong virucidal effect against HSV-1 and HSV-2
viruses as compared to acyclovir.
In vivo Antiviral assays
Animals used in the experiments were housed and cared for, in accordance with the
Guidelines in force published by CPCSEA (Committee for the Purpose of Control
and Supervision of Experiments on Animals), Tamil Nadu, India. Procedures using
laboratory animals were approved by the IAEC (Institutional Animal Ethics
Committee) of Piramal Healthcare Limited, Goregaon, Mumbai, India.
Example 17
Mouse HSV-1 zosteriform spread infection model.
The assay was done as reported in Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, June
2002, p.1 766-1 772, incorporated herein by reference for its procedure.
Balb/c female mice of 6 to 8 weeks which are non-pregnant and nulliparous were
used for the study. All the animals were shaved on right mid dorsal area using
electric hair clipper and few horizontal scarification was done on shaved area using
sterile 26 gauge needle, just before viral challenge.
Prior to viral challenge, the scarified area of each mouse was cleaned with a cotton
swab soaked in 70% alcohol followed by clearing the area using cotton swab soaked
in sterile DMEM. Mice were then infected onto the scarified area with HSV-1 virus
containing 8.27 X 103 pfu/animal. Animals received Formulation IA, Formulation IB,
Formulation IC/acyclovir/placebo by topical administration at the site of infection at 1
hour of post infection. Animals were treated three times a day with the treatment
intervals of 4 hours. All animals in all groups were treated for 5 days. Placebo (cream
base) and acyclovir (225 mg/kg/day) treated animals served as controls and virus
control group received no treatment.
The following formulations, as described in Example 6, were evaluated:
(a) Formulation IA
(b) Formulation IB
(c) Formulation IC
Formulation IA, Formulation IB and Formulation IC were applied topically thrice daily
for a 5 day period. 15 mg of Formulation IA correspond to 225 mg/kg dose; 15 mg of
Formulation IB correspond to 450 mg/kg dose; 15 mg of Formulation IC correspond
to 675 mg/kg dose and 25 mg of Formulation IB correspond to 750 mg/kg dose
evaluated in the animals.
The animals were assessed daily for morbidity, mortality and the site of infection for
a period of 2 1 days post infection.
The severity of the viral disease (extravaginal signs of disease) was quantified using
a well-established lesion score scale, as follows:
0: no apparent infection;
1: vesicle formation;
2: formation of large patches of zoster;
3: confluent zoster band;
4: hind limb paralysis
Zosteriform lesions refer to band like unilateral skin lesions located along the
cutaneous distribution of a spinal or a branch of the trigeminal nerves.
Observations:
Animals belonging to all dose groups started showing earlier sign of zosteriform
lesions by day 2 post infection.
1 Group treated with placebo:
(a) Animals started showing severity of infection by day 6, post infection.
(b) All of the mice died by day 8, post infection.
2 Group treated with acyclovir:
(a) All mice recovered from zosteriform lesions by day 7, post infection
(b) None of the mice died during the experiment.
3 Group kept untreated (infection control):
(a) Animals started showing severity of infection by day 6, post infection
(b) All of the mice died by day 10, post infection.
4 Group treated with Formulation IB (750mg/kg/day):
(a) Mice treated with Formulation IB (750mg/kg/day) showed 90%
survival rate.
(b) Surviving animals recovered from zosteriform lesions by day 9, post
infection.
5 Group treated with Formulation IC (675mg/kg/day):
(a) Mice treated with Formulation IC at 675 mg/kg/day showed
80% survival rate.
(b) Surviving animals recovered from zosteriform lesions by day 10, post
infection.
6 Group treated with Formulation IB (450mg/kg/day):
(a) Mice treated with Formulation IB at 450mg/kg/day showed
60% survival rate.
(b) Surviving animals recovered from zosteriform lesions by day 10, post
infection.
7 Group treated with Formulation IA (225mg/kg/day):
(a) Mice treated with Formulation IA at 225 mg/kg/day showed
20% survival rate. Most of the mortality occurred within day 8, post
infection.
(b) Surviving animals recovered from zosteriform lesions by day 9, post
infection.
Result: Formulation IB and formulation IC exhibited good antiviral activity at higher
concentrations, 750 and 675 mg/kg/day in the mouse HSV-1 zosteriform spread
infection model.
Example 18
Mouse vaginal model of HSV-2 infection.
The assay was done as reported in Antiviral Research, 2006, 69:77-85, incorporated
herein by reference for its procedure.
Balb/c female mice of 6 to 8 weeks, non-pregnant and nulliparous were used for the
study. Female BALB/c mice were used for vaginal inoculation with HSV-2. Five days
prior to intravaginal (IVAG) challenge, mice were injected subcutaneously (sc) with 2
mg of progesterone (Depo-Provera®; Pfizer, Belgium) in the upper back, using a 29-
gauge needle. On the day of challenge, mice were inoculated intravaginally with 1.14
x 105 pfu of HSV-2. IVAG administrations of virus were via a micropipette in a total
volume of 20 m I_ DMEM. Animals received Formulation IA, Formulation IB,
Formulation IC /acyclovir/placebo intravaginally by topical administration 30 minutes
post infection. Animals were treated three times a day with a treatment interval of 4
hours. All animals in all groups were treated for 5 days. Acyclovir (225 mg/kg/day)
was included as positive control. Placebo control animals received base cream
(placebo) at the same time-point and virus control group received no treatment.
The following formulations, as described in Example 6, have been evaluated:
(a) Formulation IA
(b) Formulation IB
(c) Formulation IC
Formulation IA, Formulation IB and Formulation IC were applied topically thrice daily
for a 5 day period. 15 mg of Formulation IA correspond to 225 mg/kg dose; 15 mg of
Formulation IB correspond to 450 mg/kg dose and 15 mg of Formulation IC
correspond to 675 mg/kg dose evaluated in the animals.
The animals were assessed daily for extravaginal disease signs and survival for a
period of 2 1 days post infection.
The severity of the viral disease (extravaginal signs of disease) was quantified using
a well-established lesion score scale, as follows:
0: no apparent infection;
1: few isolated papules and slight redness of extravaginal tissue;
2: few isolated papules, ulcers, and/or eschar and/or swelling and redness of
extravaginal tissue;
3: multiple fused ulcers/eschars, moderate swelling and redness of
extravaginal tissue with extension to surrounding tissue;
4: ulceration with severe redness and swelling of extravaginal tissue with
extension to surrounding tissue, rear leg paralysis
Observations:
1 Group treated with placebo:
(a) The earliest sign of extravaginal infection occurred on day 7.
(b) 90% of the mice died by day 14.
2 Group treated with acyclovir:
(a) None of the mice showed signs of extravaginal disease
(b) None of the mice died during the experiment.
3 Group treated with Formulation IA (225mg/kg/day):
(a) Mice treated with 225mg/kg/day of Formulation I showed 90%
survival rate.
(b) One out of ten mice showed appearance of clinical lesion by day 8, post
infection. This animal died later on. Rest all other animals did not exhibit
any characteristic signs of virus-induced extravaginal disease at any time
during the experiment.
4 Group treated with Formulation IB (450mg/kg/day):
(a) Mice treated with 450mg/kg/day of extract of Formulation IB
showed 90% survival rate.
(b) Two out of ten mice showed appearance of clinical lesion by day 14, post
infection. One of these animals died later on. Rest all other animals did not
exhibit any characteristic signs of virus-induced extravaginal disease at
any time during the experiment.
5 Group treated with Formulation IC (675mg/kg/day):
(a) None of the mice showed signs of extravaginal disease.
(b) None of the mice died during the experiment.
Result: Formulation IA, formulation IB and formulation IC exhibited antiviral activity at
225, 450 and 675 mg/kg/day in the mouse vaginal model of HSV-2 infection.
We claim:
1. An isolated extract from whole plant or one or more parts of the plant Ficus
arnottiana prepared by stirring the whole plant or one or more parts of the
plant in a solvent in a ratio of 1:8 to 1:1 0 weight/volume for 3 hours to 12
hours at 30°C to 50 °C; followed by concentrating the extract; and optionally
enriching the extract by solvent partitioning.
2. A composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount of an isolated
extract of whole plant or one or more parts of the plant Ficus arnottiana
prepared according to claim 1, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
3. The composition as claimed in claim 2, wherein the extract of the plant Ficus
arnottiana is obtained from the stem of the plant.
4. The composition as claimed in claim 2, wherein the extract of the plant Ficus
arnottiana is obtained from the bark of the plant.
5. The composition as claimed in claim 2, wherein the extract of the plant Ficus
arnottiana is obtained from the twig of the plant.
6. The composition as claimed in any one of the preceding claims 2 to 5,
wherein the extract of the plant Ficus arnottiana contains one or more
bioactive markers.
7. The composition as claimed in claim 6, wherein the bioactive marker is
phlorizin or 5,7,4'-trihydroxyflavone or a mixture thereof.
8. The composition as claimed in any one of the preceding claims 2 to 7,
wherein the composition is formulated for oral or topical administration.
9. The composition as claimed in claim 8, wherein the composition is formulated
for topical administration in the form of cream, gel or ointment.
10. The composition as claimed in claim 9, wherein the composition comprises 5
% to 50 % (w/w) of the extract of the plant Ficus arnottiana.
11.A bioactive marker isolated from the extract of the plant Ficus arnottiana for
use in the treatment of a viral infection caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV),
wherein the biomarker is selected from phlorizin or 5,7,4'-trihydroxyflavone or
a mixture thereof.
12. The bioactive marker as claimed in claim 11, wherein the viral infection is
caused by HSV-1 .
13. The bioactive marker as claimed in claim 11, wherein the viral infection is
caused by HSV-2.
14. A process for the preparation of the composition as claimed in claim 2,
comprising:
(a) preparing an extract from the ground whole plant or one or more parts of the
plant Ficus arnottiana by stirring in a solvent in a ratio of 1:8 to 1: 1 0
weight/volume for 3 hours to 12 hours at 30 °C to 50 °C;
(b) concentrating the extract obtained in step (a);
(c) optionally drying the extract obtained in step (b) under high vacuum (0.01 -5
mm Hg);
(d) optionally enriching the extract obtained in step (b) or step (c) by solvent
partitioning; and
(e) mixing the extract obtained in step (b), step (c) or step (d) with a
pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and formulating into therapeutic dosage
forms.
15. The process as claimed in claim 14, wherein the extract of the plant Ficus
arnottiana is obtained from the stem of the plant.
16. The process as claimed in claim 14, wherein the extract of the plant Ficus
arnottiana is obtained from the bark of the plant.
17. The process as claimed in claim 14, wherein the extract of the plant Ficus
arnottiana is obtained from the twig of the plant.
18. The process as claimed in claim 14, wherein the solvent used in step (a) is
selected from methanol, ethanol, n-propanol, isopropanol, n-butanol, acetone,
ethyl acetate, dichloromethane or water, or mixtures thereof.
19. The process as claimed in claim 18, wherein the solvent is a mixture of
methanol and water.
20. The process as claimed in claim 14, wherein the extract obtained in step (a)
is filtered before concentration.
2 1.The process as claimed in claim 14, wherein in step (d) the solvent used for
partitioning is selected from water, petroleum ether, dichloromethane,
chloroform, ethyl acetate, methanol, acetone, acetonitrile, n-propanol, iso
propanol, or butanol or mixtures thereof.
22. A method of treating viral infection caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV) in a
subject comprising administering to the subject a composition comprising a
therapeutically effective amount of an isolated extract of the whole plant or
one or more parts of the plant Ficus arnottiana, and a pharmaceutically
acceptable carrier.
23. The method, as claimed in claim 22, wherein the viral infection is caused by
HSV-1 .
24. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the viral infection is caused by
HSV-2.
25. A composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount of an isolated
extract of the whole plant or one or more parts of the plant Ficus arnottiana
for use in prevention and treatment of viral infection caused by herpes simplex
virus (HSV).
26. The composition for the use as claimed in claim 25, wherein the HSV is HSV-
1.
27. The composition for the use as claimed in claim 25, wherein the HSV is HSV-
2.
28. Use of an isolated extract of the whole plant or one or more parts of the plant
Ficus arnottiana, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier for the
manufacture of a medicament for the prevention and treatment of viral
infection caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV).