Anti-HIV-1 activities of the extracts from the medicinal plant Linum grandiflorum Desf. In Proceedings of 4^th Conference on Research and Development of Pharmaceutical Industries (Current Challenges)

As part of our screening of anti-AIDS agents from natural sources e.g. Ixora undulata, Paulownia tomentosa, Fortunella margarita, Aegle marmelos and Erythrina abyssinica, the different organic and aqueous extracts of Linum grandiflorum leaves and seeds were evaluated in vitro by the microculture tetrazolium (MTT) assay. The activity of the tested extracts against multiplication of HIV-1 wild type III_B, N119, A17, and EFV^R in acutely infected cells was based on inhibition of virus-induced cytopathicity in MT-4 cells. Results revealed that both the MeOH and the CHCl₃ extracts of L. grandiflorum have significant inhibitory effects against HIV-1 induced infection with MT-4 cells. The MeOH extract of the leaves is more potent than other extracts against MT-4 cell cultures infected with the wild type HIV-1, strain III_B with an ED₅₀ of 46 ± 6 µM, while the CHCl₃ extract of the seeds is more potent than other extracts against MT-4 cell cultures infected with the double mutation K103N+Y181C with an ED₅₀ of 57 ± 4 µM.