ANTIVIRAL ACTIVITY OF NATURAL SULFATED GALACTANS ON HERPES-VIRUS MULTIPLICATION IN CELL-CULTURE

A sulphated galactan (SG) with low molecular weight (app. 2800) was is olated from extracts of Cryptopleura ramose, a red seaweed from the So uth American coasts. The compound was a selective inhibitor of HSV-1 a nd HSV-2 replication in Vero cells with 50 % inhibitory concentrations (IC50) in the range 1.6 - 4.2 mu g/ml and a 50 % cytotoxic concentrat ion (CC50) of 476 mu g/ml. SG was also effective against HSV-1 in cell s of neural origin such as murine astrocytes. The mode of action of SG could be ascribed to an inhibitory action on virus adsorption. Furthe rmore, SG did not inhibit the blood coagulation process at concentrati ons highly exceeding the IC50.