Plant products as topical microbicide candidates: assessment of in vitro and in vivo activity against herpes simplex virus type 2

There is considerable interest in developing topical microbicides; products to be used intravaginally by women for protection against sexually transmi tted diseases. Many compounds derived from plants have been shown to have a ntimicrobial properties. We examined 19 such compounds in vitro by plaque r eduction assay to determine their activity against a common sexually transm itted pathogen, herpes simplex virus type 2. Compounds with an ED50 less th an or equal to 7.0 mg/ml were tested for efficacy in vivo. Four compounds, carrageenan lambda type IV, cineole, curcumin, and eugenol, provided signif icant protection (P < 0.05) in a mouse model of intravaginal HSV-2 challeng e. Eugenol, which provided the greatest protection in mice was also evaluat ed using the guinea pig model of genital HSV-2 infection where it also demo nstrated significant protection. Based on these results, several plant-deri ved compounds appear to warrant further evaluation as potential microbicide s. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.