[Antiviral activity of 3-hydroxyphthalic anhydride-modified ovalbumin against herpes simplex virus 2 in vitro].

Objective: To investigate the antiviral activity of 3-hydroxyphthalic anhydride-modified ovalbumin (HP-OVA) against herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) in vitro.

Methods: By chemical modification, ovalbumin (OVA) was treated with 3-hydroxyphthalic anhydride (HP) to prepare HP-OVA. The anti-HSV-2 activity against HSV-2 333 virus in vitro and the cytotoxicity of HP-OVA in African green monkey kidney cells (Vero cells) were detected by MTT colorimetric assay. The inhibitory effects of HP-OVA on 17 strains of vaginal lactobacilli were observed by microscopy.

Results: Anhydride-modified ovalbumin significantly inhibited the infection by HSV-2 with an IC(50) of 23.56±8.33 µg/ml. HP-OVA showed only low cytotoxicity to the host cells with a CC(50) over 1 mg/ml. HP-OVA did not produce significant inhibitory effect on the 17 strains of vaginal lactobacilli (MIC>1 mg/ml).

Conclusion: Anhydride-modified protein HP-OVA exhibits potent anti-HSV-2 activity in vitro and can be a good microbicide candidate for prevention of sexually transmitted diseases.