Anti-hepatitis C virus and synergistic potential of Syzgium cumine a bioassay guided screening in liver-infected hepatocytes

Hepatitis C virus is still a global challenge affecting millions of carriers worldwide with the more devastating situation in developing countries. Present-day clinical manifestations are insufficient to tackle the increasing disease burden unaffordable cost, viral resistance and adverse effects of treatment. In this research, indigenous medicinal plants from Pakistan tested in bioassay guided manner on Huh-7 cell lines for their antiviral effect, synergism of purified fraction with interferon FDA approved drug regime, as the receptor for developing transfection model. The methanol extract of Syzgium cumine was observed against HCV through serum titter reduction in Quantitative Real Time PCR assay and the gene expression system, NS3protease inhibition was 76% and 51% against genotype 1a and 3a, respectively. More precisely the most active fraction SC14 was assessed in dose response assay and synergistic potential resulted in 50% reduction (EC50 Value) in HCV titer of genotype 1a and 3a at a concentration of 71.96 +/- 8.67 mu g and 31.75 +/- 3.28 mu g, respectively, at a concentration of 100 mu g. As per our research work, the S. cumine extract has shown a promising effect on HCV genotypes 1a and 3a. Moreover the purified fraction S. cumine SC14 has a potential synergistic effect and ability to suppress the gene effect of NS3 during transfection in Huh-7 cells and GC/MS analysis reports the presence of Di-n-octyl phthalate (C24H38O4) which can be future direct-acting antiviral therapy against Hepatitis C virus.

Automated summary

This study tested the antiviral effects of indigenous medicinal plants from Pakistan on hepatitis C virus (HCV). The methanol extract of Syzgium cumine showed a promising effect against HCV genotypes 1a and 3a. Furthermore, the purified fraction SC14 had a synergistic effect with interferon drugs and suppressed the gene effect of NS3 in Huh-7 cells.