Inhibitory Effects of Methanol Extracts from Korean Medicinal Plants against HIV-1 Protease Activity

Abstract

Korean medicinal plants were screened for their inhibitory activity against HIV-1 protease. The inhibitory activity of protease was determined by incubating the extracts in reaction mixtures containing protease and substrate His-Lys-Ala-Arg-Val-Leu-(p-NO₂-Phe)-Glu-Ala-Nle-Ser-NH₂to perform proteolytic cleavage reactions. In this study the twenty six extracts from medicinal plants were investigated. Of the extracts tested, the extracts from the stem of Morus alba exhivited the strongest activity with inhibition of 81% at a concentration of 100 ㎍/㎖. The extracts of the flower of Saxifraga stolonifera, and stems of Euonymus japonica and Castanea crenata showed appreciable inhibitory activity (>50%) against HIV-1 protease at same concentration.