Antiviral effect of mangiferin and isomangiferin on herpes simplex virus

Using tissue culture techniques the present study assured us of the merits of mangiferin and isomangiferin in the antiviral action against HSV-1. Utilizing 4 main patterns for evaluating drug effectiveness (ie intratube drug-on-virus direct action, simultaneous addition of drug-virus-inoculum to cell bottle, virus inoculation preceding drug addition, and drug addition followed by virus inoculation), it was readily found by logarithm determination of HSV-I inhibition that isomangiferin was superior to such control drugs as acyclovir, idoxuridine, and cyclocytidine in logarithm by 0.27-0.50, and that mangiferin was lower than isomangiferin in logarithm by 0.53. The average plaque reduction rates of mangiferin and isomangiferin were 69.5% and 56.8%, respectively. All in all, the antiviral effect of mangiferin and isomangiferin was attributed presumably to their capability to inhibit virus replication within cells.