Screening of non-volatile antiviral compounds from medicinal plants extracts

Abstract

Several compounds with antiviral activity can be extracted from medicinal plants. Many of these plants have been used in the past to treat diseases of viral origin(1). There have been relatively few studies seeking antiviral agents from plants, and a number of compounds with antiviral effects have been extracted from various medicinal plants®. This research work is focused onto the investigation of the potential of non-volatile substances from plants and their extraction conditions for the preparation of antiviral agents. Sixteen different medicinal plants, their parts and two types of propolis were selected for screening. Firstly, extraction conditions of non-volatile compounds were screened: 3 pre-selected plants were extracted with 5 different ethanol - water mixtures (96%, 75%, 60 %, 40%, 20%, vol.) and bi-distilled water. The total content of flavonoids and phenolic compounds was determined as well as the radical scavenging activity. The results shown that optimal extraction solvent is the 40%, vol. of ethanol - water mixture. This extraction solvent was used to perform further investigations on all the samples. Determined total phenolic content, total flavonoid content and radical scavenging activity indicated that the highest amount of extractable phenolic compounds is present in the extracts of Origanum Vulgare L., Mentha piperita L., Geranium macrorrhizumL., Melissa officinalis L. and Desmodium canadence L. DC. Composition of the extracts was analyzed using HPLC.