Anti-Herpes Simplex Virus-1 Activity of Crude Extracts of Thai Traditional Remedy: “Ya-Ha-Rak”

Abstract

Previous studies have been indicated that the Thai traditional remedy, called Ya-Ha Rak, had a medicinal property for antipyretics from the chicken pox disease therefore this remedy may be used as an anti-Herpes simplex virus (HSV) agent. Thus, we propose to assess the antiviral activities of crude extracts of Ya-Ha Rak in the form of fine powdered herbs and unprocessed herbs extraction by boiling and stewing method  against HSV-1 strain KOS in vitro by plaque reduction assay.The crude extracts which presented anti-Herpes simplex virus type 1 and non toxic for Vero cell are as following. The boiling fine powder herb (B1) and stewing fine powder herb (S1) exhibited non toxic concentration (IC) as 0.625, 0.312 , and  the results for boiling unprocessed herb (B2) and stewing unprocessed herb (S2) exhibited non toxic concentration (IC) 0.625 and 0.312 respectively.The B1 and S1 could reduce virus infection in Vero cell for 80.31 ± 0.25 and 91.00 ± 0.16 while the B2 and S2 could reduce virus infection in Vero cell for 100 percent in pre-infection stages of HSV-1.For post infection stage of HSV-1 the B1 and S1 could reduce virus infection in Vero cell for 31.20 ± 0.30 and 28 ± 0.09 while the crud extract B2 and S2 could reduce virus infection in Vero cell for 100 percent as a Acyclovir. For conclusion Ya-Ha-Rak remedy preparing by boiling and stewing with unprocessed herb exhibit antiviral infection for pre-infection and post-infection stage better than preparing with boiling and stewing by fine powder herb.