ANTIVIRAL ACTIVITY OF CHOLESTERYL ESTERS OF CINNAMIC ACID-DERIVATIVES

Cholesteryl 3 '',4 ''-dimethoxycinnamate (7) and a new synthesized o-c oumaroyl ester of 3 beta-(2'-hydroxyethoxy)-cholest-5-en (13) exhibite d a marked activity against poliovirus type 1 (Mahoney). Compound 7 sh owed an approximately 20-fold greater selectivity in its antiviral act ivity than compound 13. These compounds were selected from thirteen st eryl esters of cinnamic acid derivatives through an in vitro antiviral screening against viruses belonging to taxonomic groups with causativ e agents of important human infectious diseases to which chemotherapy is indicated, i.e. Picornaviridae, Orthomyxoviridae, Paramyxoviridae a nd Herpesviridae.