INHIBITORY EFFECTS OF VARIOUS AYURVEDIC AND PANAMANIAN MEDICINAL-PLANTS ON THE INFECTION OF HERPES-SIMPLEX VIRUS-1 IN-VITRO AND IN-VIVO

Extracts of 40 Ayurvedic medicines and 39 Panamanian medicinal plants were screened for their inhibitory activity on the plaque formation of herpes simplex virus type I (HSV-1) in cultured cells, The extracts o f II plant species showed potent inhibitory activity at a concentratio n of 100 mu g/mL, while those of ten species showed moderate activitie s, Repeated oral administration of each extract of Rhus acuminata (gal ls), Saraca indica (bark), Strychnos potatrum (seeds) appreciably supp ressed the development of typical skin lesions induced by infection of HSV-1 in BALB/c mice, The extract of S. potatrum prolonged both devel opment of skin lesion and mean survival time. This indicates that S. p otatrum is a possible candidate for therapeutic application for HSV-1 infection.