National Morbillivirus Referral Laboratory, Division of Virology, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Mukteswar, Nainital Districts, Uttaranchal-263138.
In the present study, the systematic in vitro assessment of aqueous extract of babul plant for its antiviral activity using PPR virus (PPRV) as test model was studied using Vero cell culture system. The antiviral activity or influence of extract of babul plant harvested from the Uttar Pradesh belt of India was analyzed on the replication of PPR virus at various concentrations viz., 50 mg, 75 mg, 100 mg, 150 mg and 200 mg ml−1. Virus titration test and one-step growth experiment was also carried out using the Vero cell propagated and titrated (106TCID50 ml−1) PPRV. The extract at an optimum concentration (150 mg ml−1) potentially inhibited the multiplication of PPRV. The inhibition of virus multiplication, in the presence of plant extract in Vero cell using one-step growth experiment, was assessed by virus titration method, cell ELISA, sandwich-ELISA and one-step RT-PCR assays. Virus could not be detected by either of the aforementioned validated assays from harvested cell culture samples at various stages in which virus was grown in the presence of plant extract at 150 mg ml−1 concentration. This unequivocally indicated the complete inhibition of PPR viral replication in the Vero cell that was infected with PPR virus @ 0.01 to 0.1 MOI. This preliminary study with these findings provides the evidence that effects of babul extract in the traditional antiviral management of viral diseases. Details of results will be discussed.
