Anti-HIV activity of medicinal plant extracts

As part of our screening of anti-AIDS agents from natural sources, ethanoli c and aqueous extracts of 15 medicinal plants widely used in the folk medic ine of the Iberian Peninsula were evaluated in vitro. Most of the extracts tested were relatively nontoxic to human lymphocytic MT-2 cells, but only t he extracts of Tuberaria lignosa and Sanguisorba minor magnolii exhibited a nti-HIV activity in an in vitro MTT assay. The aqueous extracts of these pl ants showed inhibitory effects against HIV-1 induced infections in MT-2 cel ls at concentrations ranging from 12.5 to 50 mug/ml and 50 mug/ml, respecti vely. Both extracts showed no appreciable cytotoxicity at these concentrati ons. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.