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Respiratory viruses can cause life-threatening illnesses. The focus of treatment is on supportive therapies and direct antivirals. However, antivirals may cause resistance by exerting selective pressure. Modulating the host response has emerged as a viable therapeutic approach for treating respiratory infections. Additionally, considering the probable future respiratory virus outbreaks emphasizes the need for broad-spectrum therapies to be prepared for the next pandemics. One of the principal bioactive constituents found in the seed extract of Aesculus hippocastanum L. (AH) is ß-escin. The clinical therapeutic role of ß-escin and AH has been associated with their anti-inflammatory effects. Regarding their mechanism of action, we and others have shown that ß-escin and AH affect NF-κB signaling. Furthermore, we have reported the virucidal and broad-spectrum antiviral properties of ß-escin and AH against enveloped viruses such as RSV, in vitro and in vivo. In this study, we demonstrate that ß-escin and AH have antiviral and virucidal activities against SARS-CoV-2 and CCoV, revealing broad-spectrum antiviral activity against coronaviruses. Likewise, they exhibited NF-κB and cytokine modulating activities in epithelial and macrophage cell lines infected with coronaviruses in vitro. Hence, ß-escin and AH are promising broad-spectrum antiviral, immunomodulatory, and virucidal drugs against coronaviruses and respiratory viruses, including SARS-CoV-2.

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New antiviral treatments are needed to deal with the unpredictable emergence of viruses. Furthermore, vaccines and antivirals are only available for just a few viral infections, and antiviral drug resistance is an increasing concern. Cyanidin (a natural product also called A18), a key flavonoid that is present in red berries and other fruits, attenuates the development of several diseases, through its anti-inflammatory effects. Regarding its mechanism of action, A18 was identified as an IL-17A inhibitor, resulting in the attenuation of IL-17A signaling and associated diseases in mice. Importantly, A18 also inhibits the NF-κB signaling pathway in different cell types and conditions in vitro and in vivo. In this study, we report that A18 restricts RSV, HSV-1, canine coronavirus, and SARS-CoV-2 multiplication, indicating a broad-spectrum antiviral activity. We also found that A18 can control cytokine and NF-κB induction in RSV-infected cells independently of its antiviral activity. Furthermore, in mice infected with RSV, A18 not only significantly reduces viral titers in the lungs, but also diminishes lung injury. Thus, these results provide evidence that A18 could be used as a broad-spectrum antiviral and may contribute to the development of novel therapeutic targets to control these viral infections and pathogenesis.

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Since antiretroviral therapy suppresses but does not eradicate HIV-1 infection, methods to purge viral reservoirs are required. Many strategies involve the reactivation of chronically HIV infected cells to induce the expression of integrated viral genome. In this study, five bioactive compounds, the plant derivatives 1-cinnamoyl-3,11-dihydroxymeliacarpin (CDM), nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA), and curcumin (Cur) and the synthetic stigmasterol analogs (22S,23S)-22,23-dihydroxystigmast-4-en-3-one (compound 1) and (22S,23S)-3 ß -bromo-5 α ,22,23-trihydroxystigmastan-6-one (compound 2), were evaluated for their ability to elicit HIV replication in promonocytic (U1) and lymphocytic (H9+) HIV-1 chronically infected cells. The results revealed that natural compounds CDM, NDGA, and Cur were able to increase HIV-1 p24 antigen, determined by ELISA, only in latently infected promonocytic cells. CDM would reactivate HIV from latency by modulating the release of IL-6 and TNF- α , since the amount of both cytokines measured through ELISA significantly increased in U1 treated cells. Besides, NDGA increased ROS production, which might be related to the increase on p24 level observed in NDGA treated U1. These findings suggest that CDM, NDGA, and Cur might be candidates for further studies on latency-reversing therapeutics to eliminate latently HIV-1 reservoirs.

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Las plantas con propiedades beneficiosas para la salud humana vienen acompañando al hombre desde sus orígenes. En esta actualización sobre el tema se presenta un resumen de la historia del conocimiento de las plantas medicinales desde la Prehistoria hasta nuestros días. Se mencionan además algunas drogas de uso clínico que han sido desarrolladas a partir de plantas y el uso de éstas como fuente para el descubrimiento de compuestos puros con acción terapéutica, particularmente con actividad antiviral. Se discuten las perspectivas de crecimiento del mercado de las plantas medicinales en el contexto del interés creciente por las Terapias Alternativas y Complementarias a nivel mundial. Finalmente, se muestra una aplicación novedosa de los vegetales como sistemas de elaboración que permitirían obtener vacunas y drogas a muy bajo costo.

Plants with beneficial effects on human health are companions of man from their origins. This update on the subject describes an historical background about the knowledge of the medicinal plants from Prehistory to the present time. In addition, some examples of plant-derived compounds with therapeutic action and the use of plants as a source of new bioactive drugs, particularly with antiviral activity, are mentioned. Also, this article discusses the growing perspective of the medicinal herbal market in the context of the increasing global interest in Alternative and Complementary Medicines. Finally, this review presents a promising plant application as biopharmaceutical production systems that would allow vaccines and drugs obtention at low-cost.

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