In vitro anti-HIV-1 properties of ethnobotanically selected South African plants used in the treatment of sexually transmitted diseases

Ethopharmacological relevanceThe plants selected in this study are used traditionally in the treatment of sexually transmitted diseases and traditional healers interviewed claimed these plants can also help AIDS patients.AimTo evaluating the in vitro anti-HIV properties of selected plants in various bioassays.Materials and MethodsThe extracts were evaluated for their inhibition against α-glycohydrolase, reverse transcriptase and viral proteins (NF-κB and Tat) which play a significant role in the HIV life cycle.ResultsTerminalia sericea extract (IC50 = 92 mg/ml) exhibited a considerable α-glucosidase inhibitory activity which was better than acarbose (IC50 = 131 mg/ml) under our assay conditions. In the reverse transcriptase assay, T. sericea also showed good inhibitory activity (IC50 = 43 mg/ml), which was higher than that of the reference drug, Adriamycin (IC50 = 100 mg/ml). The ethyl acetate extract of Elaeodendron transvaalense exhibited the most potent inhibitory activity in both the NF-κB and Tat assays with inhibitory activity of 76% and 75% respectively at a concentration of 15 mg/ml. The acetone and chloroform extracts of E. transvaalense and Zanthoxylum davyi also showed good activity in the NF-κB and Tat assays.