Short Communication
Screening of Chinese and Mongolian herbal drugs for anti-human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) activity
Abstract
Water and methanol extracts of 30 Chinese and Mongolian medicinal plants were tested for their human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) inhibitory activity. Of the 60 extracts, 23 showed anti-HIV ac-tivity. Bioassay-guided fractionation of one of the most active extracts, the methanol extract of the root tuber of Stephania cepharantha, led to the isolation of two alkaloids, aromoline and FK-3000 as potent inhibitory substances. They completely inhibited the cytopathic effects of HIV-1 on MT-4 cells at 31.3 and 7.8 μg/mL, respectively. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
