The study investigates the antiviral activities of sulfonated polysaccharides, specifically focusing on the exocellular fungal glucan botryosphaeran and its regioselective sulfonation methods: mild sulfonation (MS) and pivaloyl ester (PS).
Two derivatives were created with different substitution patterns, showing varying degrees of sulfonation and specificities at C-6 for MS and C-2/C-4 for PS.
The MS derivative exhibited strong antiviral effects against Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), while PS showed no activity, highlighting that sulfate groups at the C-6 position enhance antiviral properties.