Description

Herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) causes significant health problems from periodical skin and corneal lesions to encephalitis. We report here that an aqueous extract preparation from the barks of neem plant acts as a potent entry inhibitor against HSV-1 infection into natural target cells. The extract from neem bark (NBE) significantly blocked HSV-1 entry into cells at concentrations ranging from 50 to 100 g/ml. The blocking activity of NBE was observed when the extract was pre-incubated with the virus but not with the target cells suggesting a direct anti-HSV-1 property of the neem bark. Further, virions treated with NBE failed to bind the cells which implicate a role of NBE as an attachment step blocker. Cells treated with NBE also inhibited HSV-1 glycoprotein mediated cell to cell fusion and polykaryocytes formation suggesting an additional role of NBE at the viral fusion step. These finding open a potential new avenue for the development of NBE as a novel anti-herpetic microbicide.