Japanese plants produce compounds that exhibit potent anti-HIV activity

Researchers have discovered that Daphne Pseudomezereum (commonly known as Onishibari) contains substances that inhibit human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) replication. The plants were grown in the Medicinal Plant Gardens of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Tohhon University. This finding is expected to lead to the discovery of novel drug seeds with excellent anti-HIV activity.

The paper reporting this study was published in the Journal of Phytochemistry. The research group was led by Professor Wei Lee of the Pharmacy Department at the Faculty of Pharmacy at Tohhon University, in collaboration with Duke University Medical Center in the United States.

The Timera family consists of over 53 genera and over 800 species of genera distributed worldwide, except for polar and desert regions. These plants contain diterpenoids that exhibit important biological activities such as anti-cancer, anti-HIV, and analgesic effects.

D. Pseudomezereum is a deciduous shrub from the Thymicidae family, discovered in Japan, China and Korea. Its bark has traditionally been used in medicine to treat chronic skin diseases and rheumatism due to its anti-inflammatory properties. Furthermore, this fiber-rich bark is used as an additive in Japanese paper production.

In this study, the research group was D. Ten daphnene diterpenoids containing three previously undescribed compounds were isolated from the fruits of pseudomezereum. Among the isolated compounds, three showed potent anti-HIV activity, with EC50 values ​​around 1 nM and cytotoxicity at IC50 >5 μM.

The results of this study not only highlight the promising anti-HIV potential of daphnene diterpenoids, but also provide the basis for future research aimed at optimizing activity through strategic structural modifications.