Anti-HSV-1 and anti-HIV-1 activity of gallic acid and pentyl gallate

• Main Authors: Jadel Müller Kratz, Carla Regina Andrighetti-Fröhner, Deise Juliana Kolling, Paulo César Leal, Cláudio César Cirne-Santos, Rosendo Augusto Yunes, Ricardo José Nunes, Edward Trybala, Tomas Bergström, Izabel CPP Frugulhetti, Célia Regina Monte Barardi, Cláudia Maria Oliveira Simões
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Ministério da Saúde 2008-08-01
• Series: Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz.
• Subjects: antiviral; HSV-1; HIV-1; gallic acid; pentyl gallate
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0074-02762008000500005

The synthetic n-alkyl esters of gallic acid (GA), also known as gallates, especially propyl, octyl and dodecyl gallates, are widely employed as antioxidants by food and pharmaceutical industries. The inhibitory effects of GA and 15 gallates on Herpes Simplex Virus type 1 (HSV-1) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV-1) replication were investigated here. After a preliminary screening of these compounds, GA and pentyl gallate (PG) seemed to be the most active compounds against HSV-1 replication and their mode of action was characterized through a set of assays, which attempted to localize the step of the viral multiplication cycle where impairment occurred. The detected anti-HSV-1 activity was mediated by the inhibition of virus attachment to and penetration into cells, and by virucidal properties. Furthermore, an anti-HIV-1 activity was also found, to different degrees. In summary, our results suggest that both compounds could be regarded as promising candidates for the development of topical anti-HSV-1 agents, and further studies concerning the anti-HIV-1 activity of this group of molecules are merited.