Curcumin inhibits Zika and chikungunya virus infection by inhibiting cell binding.

Mounce, Bryan C;Cesaro, Teresa;Carrau, Lucia;Vallet, Thomas;Vignuzzi, Marco
(2017) Antiviral Research — Vol. 142, p. 148-157 (2017)

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Authors
  • Mounce, Bryan C
    Author
  • Cesaro, TeresaUCLouvain
    Author
  • Carrau, Lucia
    Author
  • Vallet, Thomas
    Author
  • Vignuzzi, Marco
    Author
Abstract
Several compounds extracted from spices and herbs exhibit antiviral effects in vitro, suggesting potential pharmacological uses. Curcumin, a component of turmeric, has been used as a food additive and herbal supplement due to its potential medicinal properties. Previously, curcumin exhibited antiviral properties against several viruses, including dengue virus and hepatitis C virus, among others. Here, we describe the antiviral effect of curcumin on Zika and chikungunya viruses, two mosquito-borne outbreak viruses. Both viruses responded to treatment of cells with up to 5 μM curumin without impacting cellular viability. We observed that direct treatment of virus with curcumin reduced infectivity of virus in a dose- and time-dependent manner for these enveloped viruses, as well as vesicular stomatitis virus. In contrast, we found no change in infectivity for Coxsackievirus B3, a non-enveloped virus. Derivatives of curcumin also exhibited antiviral activity against enveloped viruses. Further examination revealed that curcumin interfered with the binding of the enveloped viruses to cells in a dose-dependent manner, though the integrity of the viral RNA was maintained. Together, these results expand the family of viruses sensitive to curcumin and provide a mechanism of action for curcumin's effect on these enveloped viruses.
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Citations

Mounce, B. C., Cesaro, T., Carrau, L., Vallet, T., & Vignuzzi, M. (2017). Curcumin inhibits Zika and chikungunya virus infection by inhibiting cell binding. Antiviral Research, 142, 148-157. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.antiviral.2017.03.014 (Original work published 2017)