In Vitro Anti-HIV Activity of Biflavonoids Isolated from<i>Rhus succedanea</i>and<i>Garcinia multiflora</i>

Abstract

Eleven biflavonoids, including amentoflavone (1), agathisflavone (2), robustaflavone (3), hinokiflavone (4), volkensiflavone (5), morelloflavone (7), rhusflavanone (9), succedaneaflavanone (10), GB-1a (11), GB-1a 7"-O-beta-glucoside (13), and GB-2a (14) isolated from Rhus succedanea and Garcinia multiflora, as well as their methyl ethers, volkensiflavone hexamethyl ether (6), morelloflavone heptamethyl ether (8), and GB-1a hexamethyl ether (12), were evaluated for their anti-HIV-1 RT activity. The results indicated that compounds 3 and 4 demonstrated similar activity against HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT), with IC50 values of 65 microM. Compounds 1, 2, 7, 11, and 14 were moderately active against HIV-1 RT, with IC50 values of 119 microM, 100 microM, 116 microM, 236 microM, and 170 microM, respectively. Morelloflavone (7) also demonstrated significant antiviral activity against HIV-1 (strain LAV-1) in phytohemagglutinin-stimulated primary human peripheral blood mononuclear cells at an EC50 value of 6.9 microM and a selectivity index value of approximately 10. The other biflavonoids were either weakly active, inactive, or not selective against HIV-1 in human lymphocytes.