Antiviral activity and chemical characterization of Cissus erosa (Vitaceae) ethanol extracts

Abstract

Abstract Cissus erosa (Vitaceae), popularly known in Brazil as Cipó-fogo, is a medicinal plant used in the treatment of warts and external ulcers. The present study aimed to evaluate the activity of stems and leaves ethanol extracts of C. erosa against the Dengue and Zika virus by the MTT colorimetric method and to carry on the phytochemical characterization of active extracts by high performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS). Only the leaves ethanol extract showed anti-Dengue virus activity EC50 18.2 µg/ml (SI > 27.5) and low cytotoxicity for LLCMK2 cells (CC50 > 500 mg/ml). Both extracts (stems and leaves) showed anti-Zika virus activity with EC50 of 45.8 mg/ml and 82.8 mg/ml, respectively. These extracts presented CC50 of 309.2 µg/ml (leaves) and 387.6 µg/ml (stems) to Vero cells. Analysis by CCD and HPLC-DAD detected the presence of triterpenes, steroids, flavonoids and tannins. UPLC-MS analyses of these extracts, allowed the identification of the majority of flavonoids present known as vitexin, isovitexin, orientin, isoorientin and two flavones derivatives, methoxyluteolin-6(8)-C-hexosyl and luteolin-7,4’-di-O-glycosylflavone. The results of the phytochemical studies here described suggest that flavonoids and terpenoids are the substances that contribute to the antiviral activity of the ethanol extracts within this species.