Inhibitory effect of polysaccharide peptide (PSP) against Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV)

Polysaccharides are essential macromolecules present in all living organisms, and have many kinds of biological activities, such as anti-oxidation, hypoglycemic, enhancing immunity, anti-aging, anti-rheumatism, anti-cancer and so on. In this study, the antiviral activity of polysaccharide peptide (PSP) was tested, compared with Ningnanmycin, and firstly found it has a stronger antiviral activity by using half-leaf method and leaf disk method. Subsequently, the mechanism of antiviral activity of PSP was preliminarily studied. As a result, its antiviral effect was better than the commercial agent Ningnanmycin, despite of protective effect, curative effect and inactivation effect. On the other hand, PSP as a commercial anti-cancer drug could easily and rapidly get in large quantities by liquid fermentation, which makes the industrialized production feasible. Also PSP is less toxic, easily biodegradable and ecofriendly. All the results are suggesting that PSP has potential as a pesticide to be used for the control of plant virus in the future.