Characterization of Anti-Coxsackie Virus B3 Constituents ... 147enteroviruses, for instance coxsackie B 3 viruses [2, 3, 4]. This virus is also one
of the major causative agents of myocarditis as well as pancreatitis and aseptic
meningitis [5].
To date, effective treatment is not available for these infections. Patients
are treated only symptomatically. There are several medicinal plants used
traditionally or as complementary/alternative medicines to treat skin disorders.
The use of such medicinal plants for the treatment of skin disorders arguably
has been based largely on historical/anecdotal evidence [6, 7]. Based on long
time experience, various plants belonging to the Scabiosa genus (Dipsacaceae)
are used to treat skin diseases. The information about these plants is provided
by ethnomedicine. In Iberian Peninsula, an infusion prepared from the flowers
of Scabiosa atropurpurea L. was used for the treatment of acne, measles and
furuncles [8], the roots of Scabiosa columbaria mixed with Bakerianus aster
treat skin rashes [9]. An ointment made from the roots and leaves of this
species was used in South Africa to treat the wound healing [10]. The
inflorescences and roots of Scabiosa ochroleuca L. were used externally to
eliminate warts, scabies, rash, callus and snake bites [11]. The roots of
Scabiosa sussica L. was used in Europe in the middle ages to treat the
poisonous insect bites, external wounds, herpes, ringworm, thrush and ulcers
[12,15]. Scabiosa species have been reported to contain flavonoids, coumarins,
irridoids, saponins and terpenes [16, 23]. Previously, we have shown that
Scabiosa arenaria Forssk extracts contain several active phenolic compounds
[24, 27]. As continuity of these works, and in order to rationalize the
traditional use of Scabiosa genus in the treatment of skin disorders of viral
origin. For the first time, the cytotoxic effect and the antiviral activity of this
plant extracts were reported here. The anticoxsackie B 3 activity-guided
fractionation using the MTT assay was reported as well as the characterization
of the phenolic compounds from the most active fraction using RP-HPLC.
2. MATERIAL AND METHODS
2.1. Reagents and Standards
All solvents used in the experiments (ethyl acetate, butanol, methanol and
dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO)), Silica gel 60 F 254 (thin layer chromatography
plates), Silica gel (60- 120 Mesh) (Column chromatography) and sulfuric acid
(H 2 SO 4 ) were purchased from Merck (Darmstadt, Germany). Authentic
standards of phenolic compounds were purchased from Sigma and Fluka.