Anti herpes simplex virus-2 activity of the extracts of Sericostoma pauciflorum stocks ex wight and Lepidagathis trinervis Nees

To determine the anti-HSV 2 properties and mechanism of action of two important medicinal plants Stocks ex Wight (Boraginaceae) and Nees (Acanthaceae) To identify natural products with anti-HSV-2 activity, the aqueous and 50% ethanolic extracts were prepared from whole plants of and . Cytotoxicity assay using Vero cells as target revealed CC values of these extracts ranging from 301.8 to 436.8 µg ml Extracts from both the plants showed dose dependent inhibition of HSV-2 infection using Plaque Reduction Assay. Among the tested extracts, 50% ethanolic extract of showed lowest IC value of 6.86 µg ml. To study the possible mode of antiviral action, all the extracts showed 50 to 97% reduction in the formation of plaques in the attachment assay. Extracts prepared from also inhibited the HSV-2 penetration in a time and dose dependent manner. In post-attachment assay, both the extracts from as well as 50% ethanolic extract from showed significant inhibition in HSV-2 infection.These studies document anti-HSV-2 activity of the two commonly used medicinal plants that will have implications in the development of an alternate remedy for HSV-2 infection. Significant and impact of the study: This work provides information on the anti HSV-2 properties of Indian medicinal plants that showed their significant inhibition of HSV-2 virus in system.