Antiviral activities of Radix Isatidis polysaccharide against type II herpes simplex virus in vitro

This study investigated the antiviral activities of Radix Isatidis polysaccharide (RIP) against type II herpes simplex virus (HSV-2) in vitro. RIP was prepared from the Radix Isatidis root. The toxicity of RIP on Vero cells was detected. The direct killing effect of RIP on HSV-2, inhibitory effect of RIP on HSV-2 replication and inhibitory effect of RIP on HSV-2 adsorption were determined. Results showed that, RIP in concentration range of 25-800 mg/L had no toxic effect on Vero cells. RIP with different concentrations could not directly inactivate the HSV-2. The effective rates on inhibition of HSV-2 replication and adsorption in 800 mg/L RIP group were 71.57% and 48.37%, respectively, which were the highest among different groups. In conclusion, RIP has the antiviral effect against HSV-2 in vitro. This effect mainly occurs in inhibiting the virus duplication and adsorption.