ANTIVIRAL ACTIVITY OF NATURAL AND SEMISYNTHETIC CHROMONE ALKALOIDS

The activity against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and herpes sim plex virus (HSV), of the non-polar fraction of a methanolic extract of the rootbark of Schumanniophyton magnificum was found to be present i n a fraction containing the chromone secondary amine schumannificine 1 . Other chromone alkaloids present in the plant were isolated and test ed for inhibition of HIV and HSV infections in C8166 and Vero cells, r espectively. Acyl and methyl derivatives were prepared and tested. Of all the compounds tested, schumannificine 1 displayed the greatest act ivity against HIV, whereas potent anti-HSV activity was observed for a number of its derivatives. The presence of a piperidine ring and unsu bstituted hydroxy groups on the molecules seems to favour the anti-HIV activity. The anti-HIV activity is considered to be due to irreversib le binding to gp120 rather than inhibition of reverse transcriptase or protease.