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Abstract

Background and Objective Human Herpes Virus-3 Varicella Zoster Virus causes Chickenpox in childhood and reactivates after decades from its latency to cause Herpes Zoster. The present study is an in vitro antiviral investigation on the leaves of Punica granatum L., against the clinical isolates of Human Herpes Virus-3 in comparison with acyclovir. Materials and Methods Aqueous, ethanolic and aqueous ethanolic extracts were prepared by lyophilization process and were subjected to in vitro cytotoxicity assay in HEp-2 cells to estimate the maximum non-toxic concentration for the in vitro antiviral evaluation against the clinical isolates of HHV-3 in HEp-2 cells using the post-incubation assay. The structural features of leaf chemicals were docked with the HHV-3 protease through discovery studio. Results Among the efficacious aqueous and ethanolic extracts tested, aqueous extract was superior than ethanolic extract in inhibiting the HHV-3 induced CPE at its MIC 15.625 g mL1501 for the HHV-3 isolated from Chickenpox and 31.25 g mL1501 for Zoster isolate. The efficacy of in vitro antiviral results of aqueous extract was comparable with that of the standard drug acyclovir. The leaf phytochemicals were found to interact with the protease of HHV-3 and the results are interpreted. Conclusion The lyophilized aqueous extract from the leaves of Punica granatum L., had promising activity against HHV-3 and the leaf compound Apigenin was found to interact with the protease of HHV-3 with an interaction energy of -318.299 kcal moL1501.